Why should churches respond to housing need?
‘Every single church should be involved in housing’ – St Denys, Evington.
Why have other churches done this?
‘Affordable housing is a justice issue, and therefore it’s the Church’s business’ – Benjamin Preece Smith, Gloucester Diocesan Secretary.
Affordable housing allows people to ‘enjoy the promise of Christ of life in all its fullness’ – Revd Peter Boyles, St Andrew’s, Dent.
‘These are the issues that are happening right on our doorstep, we really need to respond’ – Alison Merritt Smith, Shieldfield Art Works.
‘What’s more basic than a house that you can actually afford?’ – Revd Peter Boyles, St Andrew’s, Dent.
‘We can’t preach the word of Christ if we’re not living it’ – St Denys, Evington.
‘To whom much is given, much is expected’ – Benjamin Preece Smith, Gloucester Diocesan Secretary.
‘It’s those gaps in society where the church needs to find its claws a little bit’ – David Spencer, Pye Green Christian Centre.
‘It’s through activities like this that people come to God’ – Sarah-Emily, St George-In-The-East.
Churches can make a difference to their communities.
Churches should also get involved because we’re good at it. Local churches can transform lives and communities. The housing crisis is acute and almost universal. The issues facing our communities are often buried beneath the surface, so it’s on every church to respond – not just those where the problem is noticeable.
Why is the church good at meeting housing need?
Churches can be more personal than state-run schemes.
Keswick Community Housing Trust – set up by Churches Together in Keswick – say they know all their residents by name.
The love of God can help people where nothing else can.
‘They come from a place of no hope and they’re offered hope’ – St George’s, Stamford.
Churches provide love.
‘Churches can love unconditionally – not always easy’ – Rachel, Empowerment Worker, Hope into Action.
Churches can offer prayer to their clients.
Churches can help people whom state services can’t reach.
Ilford Salvation Army started a hostel because the council were unable to help those with no recourse to public funds.
Churches can provide community for those they’re helping.
The residents at Pye Green Christian Centre’s supported accommodation are part of their church family.
Other agencies sometimes aren’t good at talking to one another.
Church can be the ‘glue’ that holds them together – St George’s, Stamford.
It ties into the other mission that churches provide.
This means that churches can act holistically and meet the various needs people might have
Churches are respected by other organisations, so when we intervene people listen.
‘The church has a certain moral authority in these issues and must wield it with grace and compassion’ – Revd Clare Dowding, St Paul’s, Marylebone.
It’s in our heritage.
From almshouses to night shelters, churches are good at responding to housing need. Let’s do more.
What have churches achieved?
Take a look at our case studies for more information on the great work that churches have done, but here are a few headlines:
- Ilford Salvation Army secured £2.5 million from the local council.
- Christ the Saviour and St Barnabas, Ealing, convinced the council to change their planning policy.
- Churches Together in Keswick established a Community Land Trust and built 37 affordable homes themselves.
- St Bride’s, Trafford helped a housing association to build eighty-one extra-care apartments and a new community centre.
- St Edward the Confessor, Mottingham have provided housing and benefit advice to over a hundred people.
- The Methodists in Newcastle have established a respected art gallery highlighting locals’ responses to redevelopment.
- The Diocese of Leicester provided crucial funding to establish One Roof Leicester which has provide supported accommodation to forty-five people at risk of homelessness.
- The Baptists in Swindon established community on new housing estates.
- St Paul’s, Marylebone are linked with the Church Street Ward Neighbourhood Forum, host public meetings with residents, Councillors and developers and are helping draft a Neighbourhood Plan.
- church@five’s community engagement paved the way for the creation of a Residents’ Association.
- ‘I don’t think I’d be alive if it wasn’t for St George’s – Mary-Jane, client at St George’s Stamford.
- Some churches are now advising secular organisations.
It’s also good for you.
It could build your church’s reputation and increase church attendance.
Over the last couple of years, attendance at St Ed’s, Mottingham has increased from twenty to between forty and fifty. They believe that the advice service that they run has increased their visibility in the community.
It can build ecumenical and interfaith relations.
The Diocese of Leicester’s work with One Roof Leicester has brought people together across different faiths. Salma Ravat, the Muslim manager of One Roof, calls herself an ‘honorary Anglican’.
It can build your confidence in your mission.
Working with local homelessness charity Nightsafe has encouraged St Silas, Blackburn to think about what more they could do.
It may lead people to meet God.
Lighthouse, Leeds has had over seventy people baptised thanks to providing support to those with multiple and complex needs.
Some schemes may be financially beneficial to churches.
By demolishing their existing building to get a new worship space and twenty-four new flats, Anniesland Methodist Church were also able to ensure that their space was economical to run and suitable to be hired by external groups.
‘It opened our eyes to the poverty on our doorstep’ – St Denys, Evington.
All of the advice and guidance provided in these resources is based on conversations with churches and organisations that are directly involved in responding to housing need in their local area. The advice in this sheet is thanks to:
Anniesland Methodist Church
Christ the Saviour and St Barnabas, Ealing
church@five
Gloucester Diocese
Hope into Action
Housing People, Building Communities
Ilford Salvation Army
Keswick Community Housing Trust
Lighthouse, Leeds
One Roof Leicester and the Diocese of Leicester
Pye Green Christian Centre
Shieldfield Art Works
St Andrew’s, Dent
St Bride’s, Trafford
St Denys, Evington
St Edward the Confessor, Mottingham
St George-In-The-East
St George’s, Stamford
St Paul’s, Marylebone
St Silas, Blackburn and Nightsafe
