CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and several other church leaders called on President George W. Bush to "provide safe, permanent and affordable housing for over 200,000 working families."
Other organizations that signed a June 1 letter to Bush included the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., National Council of Catholic Women, United Muslims of America, Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
In recent years, housing for low-income families has decreased by a third, causing a shortage of more than 4.4 million homes, the letter said. Over 5.4 million families today live in unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions, it continued.
"Will we stand by and watch while over four million children suffer from stunted growth, anemia, asthma and significantly poorer overall health as compared to their peers who are adequately housed?" the church leaders wrote. "Our shared concern that we 'leave no child behind' compels us to find the political and moral courage to change this reality."
"The tragedy of homeless families now permeates the national landscape and the lack of affordable housing rips at the fabric of all our nation's communities," the church leaders said. "Once primarily a problem confined to our major urban centers, the housing crisis has now spread to affect both suburban and rural areas as well."
The church leaders urged Bush to sign the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2001 that would allow the United States to address this "national and social tragedy." The legislation, which has bipartisan support, would focus more than 93 percent of housing funds to extremely low-income families, create 1.5 million new units of housing for low-income families by 2010 and would generate 180,000 living-wage jobs that could lead to 1.8 million more new jobs using the Trust's initial $5 billion investment, the letter said.
Other ELCA leaders who signed the letter were the Rev. David A. Donges, bishop of the South Carolina Synod, Columbia, S.C.; the Rev. Harvey L. Huntley Jr., regional coordinator, Columbia; the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh; the Rev. Gregory R. Pile, bishop of the Allegheny Synod, Altoona, Pa.; the Rev. E. Roy Riley, bishop of the New Jersey Synod, Trenton; the Rev. Theodore F. Schneider, bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod; the Rev. Stephen L. Werner, congregational ministries board, Rocky Mountain Synod, Denver; and the Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim, bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod, Rockford, Ill.
The letter concluded by urging Bush to "bring us dramatically closer to the dream of this United States of America being a land of opportunity for all, especially for those most vulnerable among us." -- -- -- *Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. This summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Production.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
