Vine and Fig Tree

A Theology of Housing: Land, Limits and Jubilee Hospitality

By Dr. Jill Suzanne Shook

The UN declaration of Human Right declares housing as a human right, like the right to food and clothing. And Pasadena’s housing vision states:

“All Pasadena residents have an equal right to live in decent, safe and affordable housing in a suitable living environment for the long-term well-being and stability of themselves, their families, their neighborhoods, and their community. The housing vision for Pasadena is to maintain a socially and economically diverse community of homeowners and renters who are afforded this right.”

But what is God’s vision for housing? And what role do we play in realizing that vison?

The 8th century BCE prophet Micah declared:

Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid. Micah 4:4

This oft repeated biblical text promises everyone a place to rest, a right to ownership, safety, and abundance (II Kings 18:31; Is. 36:16; Zech.3:10). These and other Scripture passages assert that everyone has a right to a place to call home.

A theology of land and homes—both necessarily bound together—is one lens by which to view the Bible. Walter Brueggemann, in his seminal work, The Land, provides us with a sweeping idea of Israel’s relationship to the land:

…the Old Testament…was concerned with place, specific real estate that was invested with powerful promises…Israel’s fortunes between landlessness (wilderness, exile) and landedness,  the latter either as possession of the land, as anticipation of the land, or as grief about loss of the land.

Isaiah gives us a glimpse into God’s intention for the land, what Dr. Ray Bakke refers to as a blueprint for an ideal city, where all are housed, and there is no gentrification or displacement:

They will build houses and inhabit them; they will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit, they will not plant and another eat. (Isaiah 65: 21-22)

At times because of disobedience and natural disasters, God’s ideal is not realized. God allows his people to be uprooted and displaced. At the end of this twisted biblical road from the Garden of Eden to the City of God (Rev. 20-21) God is bringing us all home. But is God leading us only to a heavenly home, or are we also being led to live securely in an earthly one?

Homes must be built on land, so we can’t discuss homes without discussing land and its use. How we view the land, how we steward it and honor God’s laws that govern it, have everything to do with God’s overall message to save humankind to live not only in a heavenly home, but also to bring a bit of heaven on earth—an earthly home where we can safely experience God’s abundance and joy.

Biblical authors wrote extensively about land. The first sins in Genesis resulted in a marred land. The dispute over land between Abraham and Lot separated them. The land of Sodom and Gomorrah was laid waste due to their neglect of the poor (Ezekiel 16: 49-50). Joshua is about equally dividing the land among the twelve tribes. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are about preparing a people to enter the Promised Land. These books provide detailed laws and regulations to be obeyed once Israel is “landed” after forty years of wondering in the wilderness. Once in the land, the people wanted a king, so God sent prophets to hold kings accountable, warning Israel of losing their land if they neglect these laws. When these laws were disobeyed, Israel lost their land.  Lamentations is about grieving over the loss of land.

Sabbath was the key organizing principle of Israel. Duet 15: 4 provides us with the purpose of these Sabbath laws: “there should be no poor among you.” Leviticus outlines God’s rhythm of Sabbath practices to alleviate poverty.

First, every seven days the Israelites were to rest, a wise re-creation with limits placed on our bodies, minds, spirits and souls—with scheduled days for rest and coming together to celebrate and worship (Leviticus 23:3). God rained down a powerful object lesson for forty years by providing twice the amount of manna on the sixth day to promote rest on Sabbath. What a powerful Sabbath lesson! (Exodus 16:1–36 )

Secondly, every seven years land was to rest from its work—a limit given to the soil’s work in order to regain its nutrients. Any farmer will say that land Sabbaticals are a wise economic practice, ultimately creating more productivity. Additionally, Leviticus 25 outlines how every seven years there was to be a limit on debt—a limit on the stress and burden of excessive un-payable debt, liberating God’s people from financial burden.

Thirdly, the Sabbath principle continues with the year of Jubilee—every seven-times-seven-years. When the ram’s horn blows on the 49th year and the 50th Jubilee year begins, when land is returned to the original families. Essentially the land value was to revert to zero. For example, if you purchased property 45 years before the Jubilee, it would cost you more since you purchased the use of the land for 45 years. If you bought land five years before the Jubilee it would cost you less, since you would own it for only five years. If you were a real wheeler and dealer, buying up land during those 49 years, you knew there would be a limit to your ownership; you would have to give up some of your land in that 50th year.

The Bible had other policies in addition to the Sabbath rhythms to provide sustenance for his people. If you had made poor choices, or fallen on hard times, like Naomi or Ruth, there was also a limit to the consequences of your misfortune. Grace was applied, and you would again have access to food perhaps by gleaning, as well as a home due to levirate marriage or no interest loans.

The concept of a Community Land Trust, where ownership of a home is separated from land ownership, was conceived from the practice of Jubilee. Today over 225 CLTs exist in US jurisdictions providing affordable homeownership. This model takes land off the speculative market and places a wise and needed limit by making homes in the trust permanently affordable. This model recognizes that ultimately “the land is Mine, thus sayeth the Lord.” (Lev. 25:23)

If we really believed that all land is God’s and to be governed by God’s laws, then how do we make our US policies consistent with God’s intentions? We must use God’s standards to measure the fairness of laws. We may feel secure “under our own vine and fig tree” in our own homes, but our security is not in our home, but in God. When we die, we will not be judged on our property values, but on how well we value our neighbors. If we want to be in harmony with Gods’ vision for society, we need the courage to put human values above property values. In God’s economy we obtain riches by letting go. Ultimately, all we have is a gift from our Creator. That sets us free to share what we have and trust in God as our provider. No command is more important than to love God and neighbor as oneself. Israel yearned for a home and we are no different. If we want a nice home that we can afford in a good neighborhood, we should want that for others. And who is our neighbor? According to Jesus it the one most in need (Luke 10:25-37). Isaiah challenges us to exercise a true fast, where we “…bring to your house the poor who are cast out;” (Isa. 58:7) and Moses warned us:

If there are any poor in your towns when you arrive in the land….do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead be generous and lend them whatever they need. Do not be mean spirited and refuse a loan because the year of release is close at hand. —Deut.15:7-9

Here, the “year of release” refers to Jubilee, which is also part of Jesus’ mission statement (Luke 4:18). This is a challenge both to us personally and to our communities to be hospitable to the poorest among us, even if the Jubilee year is close at hand. Old Testament prophets directed their messages mostly to cities and nations. Jesus spoke to cities as well: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida” (Matt. 11:21). “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks” (Matt. 24:37). We need to consider not only how our churches welcome the most vulnerable (Matt 25:40), but also how our cities reflect hospitality to all income levels. A community with much wealth requires a host of lower income workers to support a high-end lifestyle—gardeners, maids, those who run dry cleaners, restaurant workers and on and on. Policies that push lower income residents to live at a distance in order to afford housing create traffic. Policies that provide enough housing for all income, allowing workers to live close by and polices that prevent discrimination, is indeed good news not only for the poor but the whole community. God is seeking to redeem not only our souls, but also the very soul of our cities—bringing about life giving laws and structures. God is raising up city planners excited about God’s blueprint for cities. God is raising up developers of affordable housing and passionate law makers who are committed to decent housing for all income levels.

They are doing God’s work, although they may not yet know the God who gave them their passion. We need to partner with them, encourage them. And for those not supporting good policy, we need to hold them accountable.

Like Moses who trembled as he spoke to Pharaoh to deliver his people from slavery, and Esther who risked her life to speak to the king to change an edict that would destroy her people, and all the prophets who spoke to kings, we too need to speak to our leaders with humility and the power of God. Jesus confronted the authorities twenty-seven time in the Gospels, and we should follow his example. Jesus died for our sins, but he also died because he challenged the status quo, to bring in a new system, a kingdom of love, mercy and justice.

Years of slavery, segregation and all the laws that have kept our nation divided were finally challenged by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose efforts enabled the Fair Housing Act to be passed in 1968. Today many states have Housing Elements—planning tools that demonstrate how enough affordable housing for all income levels could be met for cities, unfortunately enforcement mechanisms are weak, with little political will to fund and build enough housing. Like the prophets of old and following the example of Dr. King, we can hold our cities and nation accountable to create affordable housing. We need to resurrect the kind of theology that speaks truth to power, that affirms advocacy as a ministry of the church. We can have wonderful vison statements and policies, but without enforcement to execute beautiful planning documents, nothing will happen. Dr. John Perkins often says “Justice is eternal vigilance.”

We need to watch City Council agendas with an eagle eye, show up, ask questions and propose excellent policies that are vetted and well researched within teams. Jesus had twelve men—but even with just five and a few women we can transform policy and hold jurisdictions accountable. The prophets, priests (Lev. 14:43-4), kings (II Kings 8:1-6) and biblical community organizers (Neh. 5) all played significant roles in enforcing just housing practices. Although enforcement mechanisms are imperfect this side of heaven, God will ultimately hold us and our governments accountable for how we treat the least of these (Matt. 25:31-36).

After the 1949 US Housing Act that declared housing as a human right, for too many the opposite took place. Funds were releases for the removal of slums using a policy called “urban renewal” but this forced tens and thousands of people to relocate and lose their homes and communities. Not one person of color played a role in this drastic policy decision. Neighborhoods were declared “slums” and demolished, all too often simply because people of color lived in these homes. This happened in Pasadena and cities across the US. For this reason, this policy has been dubbed “Negro removal,” making way for civic centers and highways, pushing people of color out of view into segregated edges of cities.

The Israelites who remained in Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity were considered lower class and were discriminated against by the newcomers. After Nehemiah mobilized these Israelites to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he also had to step in to enforce the Jubilee, reminding those blinded by greed that they were hurting those within their own Israelite family. Unfair taxes and credit practices forced Jewish families to re-mortgage their homes and sell their children. Nehemiah, committed to keeping the Sabbath laws holy, demanded that these oppressors give back their houses and children and no longer charge interest to the poor as commanded in Exodus 22:25. Nehemiah imposed just limits on their cruel greed and love of money.

Sadly, in the end Israel refused to fully apply the Sabbath laws and the consequence were dramatic. The prophets screamed from heaven with warnings:

Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop all your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land! Stop expelling them from their homes. You must use only honest weights and scales… Ezekiel 45:9-10

…you hate honest judges and despise those who tell the truth. You trample the poor and steal what little they have through taxes and unfair rent. Amos 5:10-11

When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house you take it by fraud and violence….you have evicted women from their homes and stripped their children of their God-given rights. Micah 2:2, 9

Destruction is certain for you who buy up property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the land. But the Lord almighty has sealed your awful fate. With my own ears I heard him say, “Many beautiful homes will stand deserted…” Isaiah 5:7-9

The prophets proclaimed that Israel would lose their land, and they did. When Jesus came to earth, he came into a world with predatory lending practices, not unlike unjust land use and financial practices chronicled in the Old Testament. Matthew records:

“How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then, to cover up the kind of people you really are, you make long prayers in public.” Matthew 23:14

Jesus broke into history exposing both personal and socioeconomic sins of the day. Jesus inaugurated his mission in his own hometown as he stood and opened Isaiah’s scroll in the synagogue and read his mission statement:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:16-18

Scholars agree that the “year of the Lord’s favor” refers to Jubilee. After reading from the scroll, Jesus said, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” We don’t need to wait until the 49th year to practice Jubilee. We can practice Jubilee everyday by taking land off the speculative market to make it affordable.

The Early Church understood this message, selling land and having all in common, perfectly fulfilling the purpose of the Sabbath laws stated in Deut.15:4, that there “shall be no poor among you”

And there was no poor among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need. Acts 4:34.

This astounding declaration was a powerful evidence of the Holy Spirit! By invoking the Jubilee vision to establish his own ministry, Jesus put his finger on a festering societal wound, pointing out that only by courageous, radical obedience both the rich and the poor are set free. Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.” Mark 10:28-30

Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity was a wealthy man, owning cattle farms, and living in luxury. But his wife was tired of being married to someone addicted to work and money. She created a crisis in their marriage by going to New York on her own to consider what to do. This resulted in a mutual decision to start over, selling everything and recommitting their lives to God’s purposes. Fuller began testing the ideas of Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and later in Africa. Today Habitat is the largest home builder in the world—providing homeownership for low-income families throughout the globe. Fuller followed the example of rich Zacchaeus by abandoning his wealth. He also followed the example of Jesus who, “Though he was very rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,” 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Can God be trusted to take care of us if we courageously follow the radical teachings of Jesus? There was enough manna in the desert for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed. Paul the Apostle quoted the manna passage in describing the purpose of money—essentially that wealth is a gift to be shared so that all needs are met. (Ex.16:18, II Cor.8:15). In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira, following Barnabas’ example, also sold their land saying they were giving it all to God, but they lied and secretly withheld a portion of the proceeds. God made an example of them by cutting their lives short.

This extreme example brought awe to the Early Church, pushing them to radical obedience and integrity. Today we must again foster this healthy fear of God, and figure how the rhythms and limits of Sabbath laws apply within our cities and affirm where it is already happening. We need to exercise biblical real estate and city planning practices designed so that “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.”

Can we really address the housing crisis? Some may say we lack enough land, yet we have air space over parking lots and unused church space. Family Promise houses homeless families within the four walls of houses of worship and safe parking programs allow those experiencing homelessness to park in empty parking spaces at night and live in their cars, both programs coupled with case management and paths to permanent housing.

Some of the most densely populated countries in the world, like Singapore, have figured out how to adequately house their people. Do we believe this is possible in the US? “What do you want?” is the question Jesus often asked the blind and the lame. He challenged them to believe what felt impossible. Are we willing to do what it takes to believe housing is a basic human right and do whatever it takes to make housing happen? With prayer, creativity and the eyes of faith, we can address the housing crisis today. Due to the great housing shortage in California, a state law was passed that essentially rezoned the entire state saying anyone with a single-family home could build a “granny flat” or second dwelling unit. And our organization, MHCH, helped pass SB 4, rezoning essentially every religious and nonprofit college property statewide for affordable housing. 

California also has a density bonus law, whereby developers are allowed a higher number of housing units in their developments if they include a percentage of lower income units. This State law works in tandem with cities that have passed local Inclusionary policies, whereby a percent of all new units is set aside as affordable. This works like a biblical tithe, or gleaning, where a percent of all developments are required to be affordable. Pasadena’s Inclusionary Zoning requires that 20% of all new housing is affordable.

As of 2024, this one policy has produced over 1,000 affordable units, included within high end developments, at no cost to the city. In fact, this policy has put over $26 million into Pasadena’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund—which has served to generate and preserve over 600 more units. To prevent any stigma, inclusionary units have the same amenities and are the same size as the higher end units. And to be sure we don’t lose these units to market rate; they are all permanently affordable. This is smart growth at its finest. In many California communities, half of their residents are severely cost burdened, in other words, they pay over 50% of their income on housing costs. 

Additionally, today many California cities are passing rent control measures, establishing caps or limits on greed, in the midst of obscene rent increases of $500 to $1,000 a month. How will we steward the land on which our homes, cities and churches dwell? How will we help to plan our cities so that they are not exclusionary, but inclusive for all income levels and ethnicities? How do we support our elected officials, just as the prophets of old spoke truth to kings, holding them accountable to do the right thing? And thanking them when they do.

The Early Church did not maintain or settle for poverty, it ended poverty among them (Acts 4:34). In the same way we can end homelessness, as many cities are doing for veterans, women, children, and other homeless subpopulations. We know what ends homelessness, simply put, homes end homelessness. We need homes that are affordable, and in the case of the chronically homeless, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). Much experimentation and research has resulted in today’s evidence-based best practices demonstrating that PSH works to end homelessness. Margaret McAustin, a City Council member in Pasadena, knew the value of PSH and gracefully told her constituents that she had made the decision that a city-owned parcel in her district would be used to house twenty homeless families. She did not give her constituents a choice but met with them over countless meetings to discuss the design and numerous other decisions, allowing input from the community. Today “Marv’s Place” looks like a Mediterranean villa and has won awards as the best PSH in all Southern California.

The stated mission of one church in Pasadena was to provide affordable housing. After thirty years, they resurrected their original intent and revived over 500 units of Section 8 housing. Many churches own a few affordable units but rarely 500! Yet if churches help to pass good policy, they can multiply their efforts to create thousands of units. In the 1980s sixty churches in New York used their people power to organize, resulting in building 5,000 two-family homes—all for homeownership, all for low-income families.

This dramatically lowered crime, school-drop-out rates, and transformed congregations. These Nehemiah homes became the tool to infuse hope and serve as the economic engine that transformed Brooklyn and South Bronx. Twenty churches in Montgomery County, Maryland, were able to work with their county council to make 2.5 percent of all property taxes allocated into an affordable housing trust fund, enabling developers to make a significant step toward building enough affordable housing.

With a biblical foundation, love and the power of the Holy Spirit providing the motivation, courage and inspiration, the Church can set the pace and be an example of how to bring about housing justice. In this way, “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid” (Micah 4:4).

For PDF version click here: Vine and Fig Tree

by Jill Shook

Almost every nation has done some kind of major land reform in its history when extreme disparities of wealth threaten the nation’s stability. When there are extreme disparities, a nation is vulnerable to a revolution.  At times of greater equality in a nation, there is greater stability. All wealth is derived from the land and air—our food, our water, all the minerals and resources needed to build homes and sustain life.  When we abuse such resources, we hurt ourselves and our children’s future.

The Catholic priest, historian and writer Thomas Berry died at the age of ninety-four in 2009. The self-described “geologian” founded the Riverdale Center for Religious Research. In 2005, Berry told a reporter,

“If the earth does grow inhospitable toward human presence, it is primarily because we have lost our sense of courtesy toward the earth and its inhabitants.”

The Bible can be seen though a lens of a God seeking equality on earth—in relationships, in how money, goods and land are distributed. For example, in describing the purpose of in II Cor 8-9, in verse 8:13-15 Paul says:

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.  At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” 

Here Paul quotes “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little” from, Exodus 16:18, which summarizes the goal of the manna that God rained down on the people of Israel.  The people had been wandering in the wilderness and God supplied them with food and water. The food came in the form of Manna at night that looked like frost on the ground that each family would gather. The Manna spoiled when they tried to save it for the next day (except for the Sabbath). If they took too much in one day, when they measured it, they had enough, one Omer per person. The same happened if they gathered too little, they would have enough. This was powerful lesson on equality. 

In our first reflection together on April 22^nd I did a scan through the Christian Scriptures on a theology of land and the rhythm of recycling land every 7 years laid out in Lev. 25. This recycling and rhythm of life brings health to our bodies, to society and to the earth itself. If you recall it goes like this: Every seven days we rest, and every seven years the land is to rest and lay fallow as farmer would say. That year there is also a forgiveness of debts. Then after seven times seven years, the land would go back go its original owner with a land redistribution enabling landless people to again have access to land.

This recycling of land is summarized in Deut. 15, and I want to share with you just part of this passage today beginning with verse 4.  As this is read, I want to us to reflect on three questions:

1. What hits you as we read?
2. How does this relate to utilizing underutilized land on your church campus for affordable

          housing?

3. What does it take to realize land redistribution in the US?

“There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. ⁵ You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ⁶ The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised….

⁷ “……But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. ⁸ Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. ¹¹ There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.

In summary, I want to quote from one of the Early Church fathers, Basil of Caesarea or
Saint Basil the Great, who lived from 330 – January 1, 379. He said this,

“The private appropriation of the koina, such as land, is robbery. Hence, continued excessive landownership is but fresh and continued theft. Indeed, the hoarding of other things, too, which one does not need, but what others do need, is itself a form of theft. “

This quote is from the book, Oppression to Jubilee Justice by Lowell Noble. I count it an honor to have known Lowell, a brilliant sociologist deeply in love with God. It was a privilege to do workshops with him and collaborate on writing a chapter with him. He worked closely with Dr. John Perkins, one of my life-long mentors.

I want to end this reflection by sharing briefly about another of my many favorite books, Ownership: Early Christian Teaching by Charles Avila. Avila attended seminary in the Manila, in the Philippines which had a beautiful expansive grassy landscape well cared by the gardeners. He began a series of conversations with the gardeners who were part of a land reform movement. They were all landless and kept in perpetual poverty because they had no opportunity to create generational wealth. Soon he realized that what they were saying about land was more biblical than what he was learning in the seminary. So, he researched what the Early Church fathers said about land and its fair distribution, and it was not insignificant. So, he wrote this book about it.

From the earliest days of the Early Church to what the Pope today has declared about making church land available to the poor, the just and fair distribution of land emerges as a foundational way of ending poverty, bringing about health and creating equality. 

A message by Jill Shook at First United Methodist Church on July 23, 2023

A few months ago, I was here for a service and sat in that area of this sanctuary with a team of folks from around the US, CO, Texas, Oregon, Washington State and N. Cal to learn from you and your example of the topic I’m planning to share with you today.

My topic today is: Loving your City, and Neighbors as Yourself: A Theology of Land and Housing.

First let’s talk about how God loved cities.  In the Bible, cities like Philadelphia are lifted up as examples of brotherly love. And others were lifted up as examples ripe for judgement-like Sodom and Gomorrah. The prophets of old spoke to cities and nations. They rarely spoke to individuals. I speak Spanish and in Spanish there is a word for “you” in the plural form “Ustedes” This is not the case in English. We just have “you,” and the context helps us to know if it singular of plural. We typically as an individualize society we read the Bible as everything in the Bible as applying to us individually, but God mostly was using the “Ustedes” form but in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.

This changes everything in how we read the Bible.

God loved cities enough to send the prophets or messenger to address cities and nations using the plural “you” telling them how they needed to change their ways—God’s mercy and love was so severe at times, they were warned of pending judgment if they don’t change their ways. God was committed to a relationship with cities, communication to cities, and with cities letting them know in advance the consequences of their ways. God even negotiated with Abraham about the pending judgement of Sodom.

We think of meeting God out in nature somewhere, but God is at work in cities, in fact over 280 cities are mentioned in the Bible, but not any city is mentioned more than Jerusalem. And because of their disobedience, most of its residents were exiled to Babylon.

While the prophets cried out for obedience to the law, they also envisioned a return to the land and a renewal of Israel’s faith in God. Even as the Babylonians were laying siege to Jerusalem, Jeremiah bought land in his hometown. Jeremiah’s purchase provided hope for urban renewal, by demonstrating with his example in Ch. 32:15, NLT that, “Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.” Jeremiah spoke of a messiah who would come and “do what is just and right in the land” (33:15, NLT). Isaiah, too, looked forward to the time when Jerusalem would again be a place of peace and prosperity, when God’s people would again have a home. Isaiah 65 says, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build, and another inhabit.” Ray Bakke, who was my mentor when I was working on my doctorate paraphrases this passage, explaining how Isaiah 65 provides a blueprint for an ideal city. He described this passage as saying “All housing issues are addressed—there is no gentrification. People get to live in what they build, no absentee landlords or housing speculation—a housed city.”[i] The words of this passage describe an ideal on earth, not just in heaven. Can you imagine construction workers being able to afford the homes they help to build? That is the kind of just society that I long for.

Ezekiel included the foreigner in his vision of a restored Israel, saying that when the land is divided up, Ezek. 47:22b, NIV says “You are to consider [aliens] as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.” I also ong for Israel to practice this today.

Foreigners and indigenous peoples in any nation, including the United States, often have the most difficult time obtaining adequate housing. Language barriers, prejudice, unfamiliar customs and laws, and lack of legal status can hold them in the bonds of poverty:

Too many people living on the street or others who have been priced out, think it’s their fault, but it’s systemic, a broken system that the body of Christ has been called to play a role in fixing. Let me give you an example. In California there is a law that requires that every city plan for enough housing for all income levels… did you hear that? The key word here is “plan”. So, we have been working to assure that cities don’t just make beautiful plans, but that they execute these plans. Just imagine if cities indeed created enough housing for all income levels.  People being priced out would no longer feel that it’s their fault. Can you imagine living your whole life in a city working hard to serve the people of that city and then find yourself on a fixed income, with your retirement not stretching enough to cover rent, go you go to food pantries to help and maybe you eventually find yourself on the street? Seniors are the fastest growing homeless population and it’s because of no fault of their own.

  City leaders need to be reminded that in God’s sight all people share equally in the image of God, but some people, on account of their physical, psychological, or socio-economic situation, are singled out for an extra measure of the protection of God. They are those whom society has undervalued, ostracized, and often rendered powerless. They are the victims of oppression, discrimination, and exploitation. The rich and the strong are often able to silence them, to make them weak, and to banish them to obscurity. The God of the Bible, however, sees all things and hears even the voice of the poor and the oppressed.[ii]

At one time, almost a third of my city of Pasadena was African American—today it is less than 8%. We have lost over 54% of our Black neighbors in Pasadena since 1990. And you all know the reason. It’s primarily gentrification. And here in Inglewood, the beautiful stadiums bring investment, and improve the area, but they also bring gentrification, pricing people out while others cash out as property values rise So, what you are doing provide affordability to keep a remnant here is beautiful.

The nonprofit that my husband and I co-founded, Making Housing and Community Happen, has four teams—a safe parking program for those living in their car, to put them on a path to become housed, and we have an advocacy team, which mobilized to approved good policy and affordable hosing projects. And also a team seeking to revive an historic once thriving Black community. You  all know this forth team,  our Congregational land team. The Congregational Land Team includes Andre White, John Oh, and Phil Burns. They have worked with you on your vision for your church to provide sorely needed affordable housing. 

My husband Anthony runs the team that does our advocacy work. I see very Old Testament prophet as an advocate, and I see my husband and his team as speaking prophetically like the profits of old to hold our city accountable to be hospitable, to care for everyone, not just those who can afford, but those lower income workers that serve our schools, our restaurants, and our businesses.  That team studies policies, crafts it’s talking points, meets individually with our elected officials to share proposals and asks for their feedback. Then they craft talking points to share at the City Council and other meetings based on the feedback they have heard. They are well researched and demonstrate respect. We have received compliments for how this team engages with the city.  We ask  for projects like what you are doing to be approved, but also ask for specific policies to be approved, like our Inclusionary housing policy.  What do you think Inclusionary means? What is the opposite? Exclusionary. This is what many of you have experienced much of your lives not just in housing but in health care and so many other ways.

This Inclusionary policy that thew were able to get passed in 2001 and strengthened in 2019  requires that 20% of all the housing in our city, that includes 10 or more units, must be set aside as affordable. That one policy alone is providing over 1,000 affordable apartments at no cost to the city.

We speak up and that is essential. But your housing speaks louder than words, it is actually providing housing that is affordable. What a beautiful example to your city and your neighbors.

Now let’s talk about neighbors, the second of the three parts of my message today.  When Jesus was posed the question by the Pharisee in Luke 10, asking him, what is the most important command in the Bible, Jesus’ answer is not just one answer but really three: love God with all our heart, mind and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. I think of these three answers like an equilateral triangle…with God at the top, neighbors at one point and self on the other.  You can’t really love God without loving your neighbor and you and really love your neighbor without loving yourself. Each one is dependent on the other.

You have opened your hearts to new neighbors to love in the process of opening your church property to affordable housing. This also demonstrates your love for your church and its legacy. You have gone down a path few are willing to travel and done the hard work of figuring out how to make your school into housing.

When I attend the Black churches in my city, I am almost aways the only white person there. But I notice that often white neighbors live next door and an Asian owns the land on the others side of the church all the while, a Mexican takes care of the lawn and make the area more beautiful. These folks are close by in terms of their proximity, but sometimes language, culture, and the way we cling to the same forms of doing church, they can feel a million miles away, but you are inviting them to live right on your campus. You are a shining example of reaching out in love and hospitality for such folks to be your neighbor and by God’s grace, may many of the African Americans who are being priced out also apply and be accepted.

I bought my home in Pasadena in 1994 in a primarily Black neighborhood. I was one of the few whites there, but others soon followed. Prices started edging up. Soon I saw too many of my Black neighbors cash out and others were priced out.  My heart broke. I wanted to do good, but I had become a gentrifier. So, this is part of what has motivated me for the past 23 years to do all I could to address gentrification. Our city’s housing director Bill Huang said that the only thing that can address gentrification is affordable housing. And you are doing this. You are setting an example not only to your city, but to your neighbors and other churches, in how to be a good steward of the land to address a critical need today.

This land is ultimately all God’s. God speaks of land from Gensis to Revelation. I see this not as a peripheral but a central theme that we westerners often miss in how we interpret the Bible.

Biblical authors wrote extensively about land. The first sins in Genesis resulted in a marred land. The dispute over land between Abraham and Lot separated them. The land of Sodom and Gomorrah was laid waste due to their neglect of the poor (Ezekiel 16: 49-50). Joshua is about equally dividing the land among the twelve tribes. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are about preparing a people to enter the Promised Land. These books provide detailed laws and regulations to be obeyed once Israel is ‘landed’ after forty years of wondering in the dessert. Once in the land, the prophets screamed down from heaven warning of losing the land if they neglect these laws. Lamentations is about grieving over the loss of land.

The Sabbath was Israel’s key organizing principle. Duet 15: 4 provides us with the purpose of these Sabbath laws: “there should be no poor among you.”  Leviticus 25 outlines God’s rhythm of Sabbath practices to alleviate poverty. First, every seven days the Israelites were to rest, a wise re-creation with limits placed on our bodies, minds, spirits, and souls—with scheduled days for rest and coming together to celebrate and worship.

Secondly, every seven years land was to rest from its work—a limit given to the soil’s work in order to regain its nutrients. Any farmer will say that land Sabbaticals are a wise economic practice, ultimately creating more productivity. Additionally, Leviticus 25 outlines how every seven years there was to be a limit on debt—a limit on the stress and burden of excessive un-payable debt.

Thirdly, the Sabbath principle continues with the year of Jubilee—every seven-times-seven-years.  On that 50th year the land value was to revert to zero. For example, if you purchased property 45 years before the Jubilee, it would cost you more since you would own it for 45 years. If you bought land five years before the Jubilee, it would cost you less, since you would own it for only five years. If you were a wheeler and dealer, buying up land during those 49 years, you knew there would be a limit to your ownership; you would have to give up some of your land in that 50th year. But if you had made poor choices, or fallen on hard times, like Naomi or Ruth, there was also a limit to the consequences of your misfortune. Grace was applied and you would again have access to land and a home due to several policies detailed Leviticus and summarized in Deuteronomy—perhaps by levirate marriage, no or low interest loans, the practice of Jubilee or building strong marriages, as in the case with Ruth and Boaz. Stable two parent families, often equates housing stability.

“The Jubilee 2000 was a global campaign that led ultimately to the cancellation of more than $100 billion of debt owed by 35 of the poorest countries.” This made it possible that some African Counties that were so deep in debt that they could no longer afford a public school system, to again have public education.

Now the third part of my message today is about loving your neighbor as yourself. We can’t fulfill the Great Command without loving our neighbors, as we love ourselves, but are we loving ourselves? Sometimes I think that if I was to love others as I love myself it would be a pretty limited, thin love. I often don’t exercise, or eat what is good for me, I stay up too late and don’t sleep well and then I don’t have a full self to give to my neighbor. Loving ourselves is one of the most difficult things we can do. My mother would tell me, “Jill, if you don’t take care of yourself and if you aren’t true to yourself, you will never be happy!” 

We have to accept ourselves, forgive ourselves and remember who and whose we are. It was scary for me to accept the larger than imagined call on my life to do housing justice, but God has been with me at every step.  Who am I to be speaking to mayors and city council members and state senators? And as a church we must do the same. There is a reason why tall steeple churches are next to city halls—they once used their voice to shape cities to be like God’s intention for cities.

You have embraced the unique call to do housing justice.  For years, I saw myself as outside of the church and so I could criticize it as if I was not part of it. We have their choice. But we can also see ourselves a intimately in love the church and see it as God gift, while broken and hurting, especially today, it is still God’s tool to transform our world.

Generational trauma is real, I see it everywhere in the Black community. Once I was in a meeting where the speaker was describing generational trauma.  All were African American expect me. As the speaker described such trauma, I watched the faces of those in the meeting and their heads were bobbing in agreement and jaws were dropping as light bulbs were going on in their minds in agreement with their own experiences.  This pain is real, but it is also very real that the Black community has survived and even given a gift to the world with spirituals that resonate with their pain and the common pain we all share.  That courageous honesty and gut-wrenching truth in the negro spirituals give courage and words to our own experiences. We all stand on this this historic testimony today. We can open to our eyes and see those who have gone before us, that great cloud of witnesses that are here today with us, including the scores of folks who have given their hearts and lives to build this beautiful place.

White churches can be focus more on our head knowledge and are not tuned into our feelings as much. But the history of the Black churches is about survival, about acknowledging oppression, the common pain and history of slavery, segregation, exclusion, and a long list of injustices. In some black churches I have seen women faint in church as they pour out their pain, while others come to support her with fans and tenderness. I can’t imagine feeling so free to let my emotions be so public. This is your gift to the world. The intense love and embracing of your history and yet trusting in the long but very real arch toward justice. I watched the movie Aretha a few weeks ago and a few days later I was caught in a very awkward place of having to tell a prominent person something very hard to say—and Aretha gave me the courage to say it.

The power to love our places of worship, our city, our neighbors and ourselves is present with us here and now.  God is nearer to us than we can imagine, richly present in all our moments. I have a little exercise I want you to do.  Put your hand onto a pew next to you and feel it, picture those who once sat there. Picture this place full… full of the great cloud of witnesses—those whose faith built their beautiful sanctuary and school and campus. We are not alone. We are all connected to God with bonds of love that cannot separate us from God or from your history in this place. We can find God everywhere in this place. This is not an escape from reality but the ultimate reality.

This is a reality more real than anything we can see, here or touch.

You are a church of faith. You have stepped out in faith with a untied voice and a deep conviction of something not yet real. But knowing it will be real. You have evidence of it with architectural drawings and signed documents and a trust in Andre and others who have been there to help you on this path. They have met with your city and helped you realize your vision.

In closing and summarizing my message today, I want or reiterate my three points:

We are called to love our city, love it into being better and better reflecting God’s intention for cities. Jesus himself spoke to cities.  In Matt 1:21, he said “Woe to you Chorizon. Woe to you Bethsaida.” Warning them to do the right thing. Jesus even wept over Jerusalem. We too are called to speak to cities about making sure all are housed and at times we even need to cry over our city.

We are called to love our neighbor. I will summaries this point with a prayer:

Dear God we want to see you God in their faces of those around us, to be more fully aware that we  are all uniquely made in your image equally deserving our full attention as you give us yours. That we are all deserving of a home and of all the spiritual riches of a close connection to You, the One who is the Giver of all—of the air, water, land, the soil from which we and all of us we have come. The soil which sustains us and all of life and provides the materials for homes, clothes, food and more. Use our hearts,our heads and hands to sustain these precious gifts of creation. Help us to love as you love, with no judgment, with no conditions, with generosity of our time knowing that you will help us get done what we need to, if put you first. Amen.

Third, we are called to the challenging, but essential command to love others as ourselves. We are to joyfully and courageously accept and embrace all our goodness, all our weaknesses, our gifts and talents and to boldly allow ourselves to be used for the Glory of God. 

God’s love for places, for cities, for others and for us, is more vast and real than we can imagine. Help us today God to get a deeper glimpse of your love despite all of life’s challenges that seem impossible at times. Help us to remember today always what Paul said in Romans 8: 37-39:

God’s overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[i] From a lecture by Raymond Bakke in Seattle, Washington, for a doctoral  course on Transformational Leadership for the Global City, June 2002.

[ii] Domaris, New International Dictionary of Old Testament, 230–31.

Why is it so essential? What does it mean?

Fifty churches throughout So CA have approached us, asking for advisement on how to go about using a portion of their underutilized land for affordable housing. Market rate developers eye church land all the time, approaching them to buy their land to build luxury homes and apartments. Financially strapped churches sadly too often take their bait and sell to the higher bidder, ending up with little in return for years of hard-earned tithes and offerings that they have invested in land and buildings. Without fully realizing, they add to the housing crisis by providing expensive homes, and little if any homes that people in their church or city workers can afford. 

Few churches realize they can partner with an affordable housing developer, keep their land (by the use of a ground lease), and still get a fair return—only if the zoning allows his use!  Zoning often allows for market rate (high end) homes, but not the number of units needed to make an affordable project pencil out financially. Rarely affordable housing can be built without additional funds—subsidies—needed to make housing truly affordable. But here’s the hitch: subsidies don’t kick in unless there is a benchmark of at least 50-70 units in the project. That is the rub.  Of the 50 churches that have approached us, only a handful have the proper zoning that allows this kind of density.

This is why we have conducted a local campaign to rezone religious properties for the past two years. In the meantime, with our support, nine other cities have jumped onto the band wagon, and are in the process now of approving the citywide re-zoning policies. And…the  Faiths United state coalition of 30+ organizations (in which we play a significant role) are seeking a statewide provision for all religious properties in California. But local and state policy must be by-right as Sarah Lett’s so beautifully outlined at the Planning Commission on Wed and in this newsletter:

• Churches or developers rarely have $100,000 -1.4 million to spend on getting the zoning fixed with no certainly that they will even get it approved.
• Developers rarely if ever have the staffing for a 3–4-year campaign to change the zoning. And churches don’t have the expertise. There are many interested churches and other 100-year-old cavernous steeple churches with a handful of members left struggling to know what to do to stay alive…not knowing they could partner with an affordable housing developer if the zoning allowed for it and without a clue how to go about re-zoning their property.

So what on earth does by-right mean? Most cities have Master Plans and Specific Plans whereby design standards for each site are well thought-out in advance giving guidance to development over a 20 years’ time frame. By-right is the same concept, but citywide. It’s like the rules that govern credit unions or the safety of any product that has specific agreed upon standard in advance that govern consistent outcomes and community trust. By-right means that a property owner has a right or permission to build on their land within guidelines. In this case, a citywide religious zoning amendment would give congregations the right to build housing that is at least 50-80% affordable at a contextually appropriate height and density. It means that the onerous and expensive process of seeking a zone change would not be required to go through the Planning Commission and City Council process. Almost all affordable housing is required to go through these hoops, rarely market rate developments require this, unless they are asking for a variance or concessions. We are asking to by-pass this process, which often kills the project or prevents an affordable housing developer from ever considering it in the first place.  

But this is key: We still want the requirement of public engagement to improve the design, and if the community is opposed to the design, the Design Commission could require that the design be modified to address community concerns. But the congregation’s right to have affordable housing built would not be challenged, just as it is not challenged in the Master plans, Specific Plans, etc.   

Consider joining our worthy efforts, with your time or contributions and especially your prayers. This week in our monthly Quaker Bible study on Mark 11, I was again struck by Jesus’ words that we can move mountains. I believe that this is a mountain the God can move.

My husband Anthony and I love to sing “Everyone “neath their vine and fig tree” to guests when they visit our home as we dine under our grape arbor, which is next to a fig tree. This motif is a repeated symbol in Scripture of a secure home. So, imagine this peaceful setting as I share with you today, but let’s also imagine how God shakes us out of our false security when we ignore God’s mandate to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).

It is my prayer this morning that God would use me and these words as his vessel of love and justice.

After reading the seven chapters of Micah in one setting, I felt like I had just been on a roller coaster, with God’s severe judgment and severe mercy swinging back and forth throughout the book. Some find it hard to mix judgment with God’s love, but Micah has gifted us with a message in how to do this.

Micah was from Moresheth-Gath, a small town in southwest Judah, where Goliath was slain by David.  Micah’s father’s name is not given, which suggests that Micah was a descendent of the common people. Growing up in a small rural town, Micah likely took courage from the story of Goliath when he boldly called out God’s message of severe judgement on Judah and Jerusalem and 11 cities in chapter 2. It struck me that he was not calling out individuals by name, but cities. Micah championed the poor by condemning oppressors who gobbled up the land of peasants.   

Repeatedly God tells Israel that if she fails to keep God’s law, she will lose her land. They had unjustly taken land, now theirs was being taken. With severe mercy, God was now pushing people from their homes and their land. By calling out the cities in advance, they would know that God is just, going to any length to wake them up. And God is using humans, common people like Micah to announce this news.

Micah was the first prophet to predict the downfall of Jerusalem and told them to get ready to grieve the loss of their land. Most of the Hebrew prophets spoke to cities and nations, not to individuals. And so should we. Like Moses who spoke to Pharaoh, and Esther who spoke to the King, we speak to decision makers, to elected officials, to bring about justice and redemption.

Because our American culture is so individualistic, we often read the Bible in a personal way, as if it is only about personal sin, and we miss the sin of cities and nations—of cultures of violence supported by unjust structures, unjust allocations of land and funds, and un-just policies and priorities.

For example, Pasadena was beginning to experience a growing homeless crisis in the 90s but didn’t have a housing department to address this. We advocated for a housing department, and we got one. We now have Bill Huang as our Housing Director, who is deeply respected and committed to house our unhoused neighbors. Thanks to him, and a shift in thinking toward ending homelessness, as opposed to managing homelessness, and thanks to our advocacy efforts, the work of homeless service providers, and concerned churches and citizens, the homeless count in Pasadena declined by 56 % from 1,216 in 2011 to 527 in 2020.  To me, this is astounding considering how most other cities are seeing dramatic increases.

This process of cultural and structural change around well-researched best practices is what I call the redemption of the city.

But the cities that Micah called out were beyond redemption.

So, what was the sin and rebellion of the cities of Israel and Judah that Micah outlines as meriting such severe judgement?

It had to do with believing in false prophets more interested in money than in truth telling. It had to do with taking land and homes from the poor. Jerusalem was doomed because its beautification was financed by dishonest business practices, which impoverished the city’s citizens. 

In Micah Chapter 2: 2 is says:

When you want a piece of land,
    you find a way to seize it.
When you want someone’s house,
    you take it by fraud and violence.
You cheat a man of his property,
    stealing his family’s inheritance.

What does this remind you of?  Of homes of our brothers and sisters being bulldozed in Palestine? …“You take homes by fraud and violence” What about Bruce’s Beach taken from African Americans by eminent domain 100 year ago by the city of Manhattan Beach? … “You cheat a man out of his property and find a way to steal it.” It has been so hopeful for me to learn this may become the first time in the US that land taken may actually be returned to Blacks as a form of reparations.

What about closer to home where thousands of homes were taken from African Americans where the 210 Freeway and Parson’s engineering now sits? …“When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it.” What about when the city refuses to allow the proper zoning, so a church’s dream is possible of having affordable housing on its underutilized land?  This is the case on N. Fair Oaks.  

Micah also lists eviction as one of the other sins that God abhors:

Verse 2:9 says, you have evicted women from their pleasant homes
    and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.

This verse reminds me of all the migrant children fleeing violence and seeking peace, who have been stripped of all God would give them. It also reminds me of those who are hanging on for dear life to their homes, having to choose between eating or paying rent. It’s very hard to imagine what it’s like for 66,000 people—almost half the size of Pasadena—who now make sidewalks and encampments their home in LA County …reminiscent of Calcutta. “People stripped of all that God has for them.”

In his powerful, award-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in America, Matthew Desmond has helped us to imagine how it’s possible that folks can spiral down into homelessness, and also to imagine the systemic factors at play. Desmond reminds us that once an eviction is on your record you have little chance of finding another place to live. He estimates 1 million evictions a year take place in the US. Matthew Desmond sums this injustice up by saying that “Black women are locked out, and Black men are locked up.” 

There are probably few if any members of Knox who have been evicted (or locked up), but if you go to some the African American Churches in town, too many are them are emptying out, in a sense evited from our city, because of skyrocketing housing costs, and being locked out of better paying jobs. 

Let me bring this closer to home, it is estimated that 1 in 5 students at PCC across the street are homeless, that is 19%! I spoke to a collage professor two weeks ago who said the there was at least one homeless student in every one of her classes. Could a vision be fostered whereby PCC’s large parking lots could have stacked parking with low-income apartments? This is not impossible.

Many in our city are “over-housed,” according to Pasadena Housing Director, Bill Huang. He says that many homeowners, especially older ones whose children have left for college, have more bedrooms than they need.

Here, I want to tell you a story of what happened when I was on staff at Lake Avenue Church, and director of the STARS after school tutoring program. Most of the low-income kids we served were living in overcrowded conditions. Several of our youth lived in a home with 10 families!!

I was driving some of these kids in my 8 passenger green Ford Taurus up toward Sierra Madre. Their eyes got bigger as the homes got bigger, and one said, “There must be a lot of families who live there!!” When I explained that it was probably just one couple, they said, “They must feel really lonely!” They may well be right.

Home sharing programs across the US are addressing both over-crowding, over-housed communities, and student homelessness and loneliness—reweaving society, changing cultures, and creating life-giving structures that reflect God’s justice and mercy. Perhaps such a program could take hold here if there is a vision for this.

For the past 7 years, my husband Anthony and I have housed a brilliant formerly homeless man in our back house. He has become like family. Each Wednesday we enjoy a meal, a time of prayer and Bible study. I wish you could all be part of these delightful discussions from a formerly homeless perspective. We have been humbled and transformed.

If you live in a single-family home, I want you to imagine what is in your back yard. Let’s consider how we might be better stewards what God has given us and how we might be blessed to house a student or an unhoused neighbor.

I believe Micah’s message to us is one of hope. Hope is fostered as we participate in action and see results. From Micah we see that God is real, that God does what he says. Micah foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, which was subsequently destroyed three times, the first one being the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy. About 150 years later, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Micah also tells us of an ideal that could be made real. God does not settle but give us an ideal to strive for with the mandate and means to do accomplish this ideal.  The heart of this message is in Micah chapter 4, the focus of my sermon today.

Listen to chapter 4: verses 2-4:  

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
…³ The Lord will mediate between peoples
    and will settle disputes between strong nations far away.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
    nor train for war anymore.
⁴ Everyone will live in peace and prosperity,
    enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees,
    for there will be nothing to fear.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    has made this promise!

Here settling disputes without implements of war, is interlinked with peasant farmers freed from military oppression. Due to conflict and war, in 2020 alone, 82.4 million people in the world were displaced—all in just one year!! I thank God for the example of Knox to help house some of those displaced. I believe that God is telling us if we ended war, we’d keep people in their homes and we could live in peace, and secure, everyone under their own vine and fig tree.

Is ending war possible? Are there alternatives that work?  One of my favorite authors, Walter Wink in his book, Engaging the Powers, lists a sample of 73 significant conflicts resolved without a gunshot. I also love to point to Costa Rica, a county that chose to have no military, but instead invest in education and environmental initiatives. Compared to other Latin America countries, Costa Rica is thriving!

Is ending homelessness possible? A resounding yes! We know what ends homelessness, and its homes. Just one policy we helped get passed in 2001—and again we strengthened in 2019, requires that 20% of all new housing be set aside as affordable. This inclusionary policy has produced over 1,000 affordable units spread throughout the city, at no cost to the city.

In the past two years, our ASHA team has been able to build hope with multiple prayer vigils and implements of change to create multiple wins, gaining approval of 149 PSH—permanent supportive housing units, which ends chronic homeless.  They won the approval of another 112 affordable senior housing units with 10% for those experiencing homelessness right in the city center by the city hall.  

When one has their own vine and fig tree, a secure place to call home, with the support to thrive, not just survive, we end homeless for that one person.

Cynthia Kirby was homeless for 10 years in E. Pasadena and thanks to permanent supportive housing and the grace of God her life has turned around.  Today she is employed by the Baptist Church, reunited with her husband and daughter and is getting straight As in her college classes!

Dorothy Edwards was also homeless here in Pasadena for 17 years and is now in her secure apartment, and on the national board for the corporation of supportive housing speaking around the US.

Marv’s place, which looks like a Mediterranean villa and is not far from here, on the corner of Union and Mar Vista houses 19 formerly homeless families, none of whom worked and today all are thriving, going back to school or are fully employed. The stability of a home changed everything.

Even though most of our Bible translations may entitle Micah 4 as “God’s future reign”, I believe that this not about the future, but rather as Jesus said, the kingdom of God is at hand, present now, today. And that this passage is more about setting a standard of God’s ideal today. “Thy will be done on earth… in Pasadena, at Knox… as it is in heaven.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word”.

To change our world and our cities, we need to change our thinking—to see housing as a right, not a commodity. I was delighted to see that a recent LA Times editorial promoted housing is right. The United Nations has recognized a right to housing for decades, but this document authored largely by Eleanor Roosevelt was never ratified by the US.  Micah is saying that it is God’s intention for everyone to have a right to housing, to live under their vine and fig tree, at peace and unafraid.  

Micah’s beautiful vision came out of a time when people were being ravaged by injustice and losing their homes and going into exile. Micah said that he ‘howled like a jackal and moaned like an owl” as he grieved over the destruction of these cities. Grieving is an important part of justice work.  

Do we let ourselves feel the pain of our unhoused neighbors and immigrants fleeing violence and fear? When we get to know our homeless neighbors by name and hear the stories of people forced into exile by war, we are forever changed.

In 7:8 Micah said, “Though I sit in darkness, I will rise again” and in 5:1 Micah challenged those called to destroy Jerusalem to “Mobilize!! Marshall your troops!”

With the love of Christ in our hearts we need to mobilize and marshal people of faith and conscience “to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).

Our seemingly humble actions really do make a difference. When we go to the City Hall, I often see our elected officials’ heads bobbing as they count the number of people mobilized who are taking a stand. They need to borrow our courage and belief that God’s vision for cities is possible, today.  They need to know we have their back so they can be courageous and stand against the status quo.

It will take a holy army to change our policies. It has taken an army to get people like Cynthia Kirby and Dorothy Edwards housed. Not just the service providers, but changed policies, changed thinking, secured apartments, secured land, financing, architects, volunteers, and generous donors.  But each human being made in God’s image is worth it. These women are secure in their own apartments, where they pay only a third of their income on rent.

But most renters don’t have this security. Half of Pasadena pays more than 50% of their income on rents or mortgages and there is nothing that prevents a landlord from increasing rents as much as they can. Rent control is a great policy, but it has been given a very bad rap. We desperately need this in place.

It will take an army of committed people to institute this policy and debunk all the misconceptions about it. Anthony and I spent hours having a blast getting to know our neighbors and asking them to sign the official petitions a few years ago. It was a delight to see how many were eager to sign, even landlords. But we were just shy of the 13,000 signatures needed!

Micah has inspired my Quaker husband as well as many others to work to end war. And it has inspired us both to work so that everyone can have decent and secure homes that everyone can afford. This makes for a healthy mixed-income city, lowers traffic, brings investment and all kinds of local benefits. CA recognizes this as a best practice, requiring that every city plan for enough housing for all income levels. But the key word here is “plan.” …it doesn’t require implementation. No laws require that affordable housing be built, but today it is one of the biggest needs. All affordable housing is built due to advocacy.

Each year Anthony goes to Washington DC, to join hundreds of other Quakers who lobby elected officials to end war and poverty. Their vision is to seek a world free of war and the threat of war, a society with equity and justice for all. They haven’t reached that goal yet, but have had many victories along the way, such as this week’s passage in the House of the Repeal of the Authorization of the Use of Military Force in Iraq. This authorization has been used as a “blank check” by Presidents to justify military interventions.  Recently Anthony helped to orchestrate powerful coalitions of folks to meet with Feinstein and Padilla that helped to push this forward.

Our nonprofit, Making Housing and Community Happen, is seeking to end poverty by ending housing insecurity and homelessness. We are doing this with an amazing network of churches and volunteers and partners. Our seven teams do research, show up, speak with courage and truth and the love of Christ. We are creating the world we seek.  

We chose the vine and fig tree as a motif on the logo of our nonprofit as a reminder that God’s intention is for everyone to be housed in peace.  

We know this is possible. When Congress passed the Housing Act of 1968, it committed the nation to the goal of producing 2.6 million units of affordable housing a year. As a result, in the early 1970s we were close to meeting the need for affordable housing, but since then HUD and other programs for housing have been cut every year, even though the need has increased. At the time, half of the US budget is for our military, squeezing out domestic spending. Funding priorities are one of factors leading to today’s housing crisis.

It takes faith to imagine a world as it should be, especially with 66,000 people experiencing homelessness in LA County, but it was not always so. And other counties have figured out how to adequately house their population.

Examples give us hope. The vision of the vine and fig tree give us hope.Ending war and poverty is not an impossible dream because we know it is God’s intention.

Great things can happen in small cities and towns. Micah predicted that messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2 says, 

But you, O Bethlehem
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.”

I John 15 Jesus is referred to himself as the vine, the true vine and we the branches. Let us cling to this vine as we lift God’s intentions for a world in which everyone is housed, and lives at peace and unafraid.   

Dr. Shook’s Sermon at Knox Presbyterian

Today I read a slanted article in the LA Times suggesting that urban density is bad because it doesn’t allow for social distancing. On the surface this may seem true, but it went on to say the opposite.

NY City’s Manhattan district with some of the highest density shows the lowest rate of the virus, while poorer areas where people color live are the hardest hit. Early social distancing helped slow the virus in other cities that are very dense. San Francisco Bay area has had only 1,300 cases and  LA has had only 1,900, with some neighborhoods, believe it or not, surpassing the density’s of NY. Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, some of the highest density cities in the world, have had a fraction of the cases compared to NY.  Density is not the problem. See: .Virus ruins state’s plan for urban density

One of my doctoral courses had us climbing to the top of a high rise apartment building in Hong Kong to meet families living on the roof with just a few boards and bunks to create a home for themselves. I was appalled at seeing this utter poverty amidst such wealth in all the stories below. Anthony Manousos, my husband, can’t get out of his mind a picture he saw of 400 sq ft studio apartment in Hollywood where three families are jammed into a tiny space with bunk beds stacked up to the ceiling. These images remind us of why higher density that requires  affordable housing is needed so that such families can have their own place where they can social distance. Social distancing  is a privilege that higher income folks with spacious housing can afford. If you are infected with COVID 19, you should self-quarantine for 14 days, keep 6 feet away from others, and use a separate room and bathroom if possible. This is not possible for many poor families. See: Overcrowding in LA may fuel spread of the virus The argument going around that density is bad is just not true. We need more housing that people can afford so they don’t need to overcrowd.

This is what is bad: Poverty, racism and over-crowding. The poor  have little chance to build up savings. They have to work. They go out using pubic transport, and work in crowded conditions to pick, prepare and package our food and provide so many of the services we enjoy.  Access to affordable good health care,  fair wages, just hiring practices, safe places to work, and zoning that allows for higher density are all solutions to the racial divide we are seeing today in statistics on who is being infected with COVID 19 .

Density is good as long as it requires affordability and green construction to mitigate the climate crisis. If we keep spreading our cities out, requiring more cars and gas, with long distances to places of work, worship and play, we are going in the wrong direction to help save our planet.

Anthony and I had the privilege of going to Greece a few years ago to visit his wonderful Greek relatives and meet my brother and his wife on Crete. (They were on holiday from Australia where they live).  We passed through countless small villages that were gone with a blink of an eye because they were so dense. We climbed up long stairs in the heart of these white and blue buildings, with one home on top others and few, if any cars in sight. Villagers didn’t need them. Everything was so dense you could easily walk to where you needed to be. I could imagine that these towns and villages must have been similar to what it was like at the time of Jesus.

I just did a search on “crowds” in the Bible. This word is mentioned 226 times from Genesis to Revelation. How could the prophets, Jesus, Peter and Paul share their messages without a crowd? At times, Jesus took crowds with him to the the countryside where he feed 5,000 and more.  Other times he walked the streets and people like the woman with an issue of blood came to him in a crowd. Sometimes the crowds were so big that short people l like me had to climb trees to see Jesus. And other times Jesus was so tired of the crowds he left to be alone.  After the death of Jesus, even the disciples were in a upper room–an indication of density. So what would Jesus say about density? I think he would support it, as long as it meant that those most vulnerable could have a place of their own to stay safe.. and especially in a time of pandemic.

“Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear.” Micah 4:4

In 2016 GPAHG, our local housing group, was able to stop a proposed anti-camping ordinance which would have criminalized homelessness in Old Pasadena and other business districts. Here is the research and the talking points we used in addressing the Pasadena City Council:

Anti-camping ORDINANCE TALKING POINTS

Download as a PDF here: Talking Points-Anti-camping and aggressive panhandling talking points

Causes and Consequences of Criminalizing Behaviors Associated with Homelessness

1. Homelessness is caused by a severe shortage of affordable housing.

• We need housing and real solutions that are proven to work. It can be ended. Two states and nineteen cities have now ended homelessness for veterans. We have the opportunity to end homeless in Pasadena. We have seen the numbers go down due to the hard work of our housing department and many others. We need housing that people and afford, not more arrests, penalizing people for being poor.  http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/veteran_information/mayors_challenge/

2. There is a direct correlation between the cuts in funding for affordable housing and the rise of homelessness and anti-camping measures.

• HUD’s low- to moderate-income housing budget authority fell by 77 percent between 1978 and 1983. Homelessness is primarily caused by a severe shortage of affordable housing, exacerbated by an 85% reduction in federal funding for affordable housing. Despite these cuts, two states and nineteen cities have now ended homelessness for veterans. One of the few housing programs that has not been cut is funding for permanent supportive housing. This can be access by a city if there is land set aside to build this. Margaret McAustin is the first to make sure this is built in her district. Marv’s place looks like a small Mediterranean Villa. It just won an award as one of the best permanent supportive housing in all of Southern California. We need this in very district.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/veteran_information/mayors_challenge/

3. There has been a significant rise in laws criminalizing homeless people in California, but these laws have only worsened, not solved, the problem.

• UC BerkeleyLaw’s Policy Advocacy Clinic conducted an extensive study of this problem in 2015 and concluded that “criminalization harms homeless people and perpetuates poverty by restricting access to the social safety net, affordable housing, and employment opportunities.” Since 2000, statewide arrests for “vagrancy” offenses have increased by 77 percent, even as arrests for “drunkenness” and “disorderly conduct” have decreased by 16 percent and 48 percent, respectively, suggesting that homeless people are being punished for their status, not their behavior. http://www.homelesslivesmatterberkeley.org/pdf/CA_New_Vagrancy_Laws.pdf

4. Criminalization measures do nothing to address the underlying causes of homelessness

• The National Center on Homelessness and Poverty provides not only reasons why criminalization doesn’t work but also offers policy solutions that have proven effective. .https://www.nlchp.org/criminalization California’s “quality-of-life” laws are is a misnomer, because they devastate the quality of life of homeless people, with an aim to keep homeless people out of public spaces.  http://files.ctctcdn.com/32a36ff6001/acdee492-e1fd-4c9c-a3a5-98b796230bbc.pdf

5. Pasadena could lose HUD funding to address homelessness if it is found to have criminalized homeless people. In the April 11, 2016, Bill Huang, Pasadena’s housing director was asked if this was the case and he agreed.

• In determining what projects are funded, HUD now examines whether applicant communities are preventing the criminalization of those experiencing homelessness by having ordinances that “ban camping in public spaces, ban loitering or begging, even limit to the time someone can spend sitting or lying down on a city sidewalk or park bench.”http://nationalhomeless.org/hud-puts-teeth-into-effort-to-stop-criminalizing-homeless-people/

6. The enforcement of anti-homeless laws is expensive, directing limited resources away from efforts that would effectively and humanely reduce homelessness.

• At the City Council meeting on April 11th, Tyron Hampton asked Police Chief Philip Sanchez what would happen if someone was arrested for camping/sleeping. He said that after making make arrests, then going to court, and then to be checked out at Huntington Hospital, in the end they would be brought back to the streets. The expensive cost to tax payers would be better spent on permanent supportive housing for the homeless. Research shows that it costs taxpayers approximately $40,000 a year for homeless people to stay on the street, and the cost to house a homeless person about $20,000 a year. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/mar/12/shaun-donovan/hud-secretary-says-homeless-person-costs-taxpayers/7.

The enactment of anti-homeless laws raises significant moral, spiritual and legal questions about constitutional rights:

7. It could be cruel and unusual punishment if homelessness is criminalized without providing sufficient indoor places of shelter. In April when the City Council gave the directive to the City Attorney to begin crafting this ordinance, the lawyer said that passing this new ordinance could violate the Eighth Amendment. In 2006 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held a Los Angeles municipal law that prohibited sitting, lying, or sleeping in public places violated homeless people’s Eighth Amendment right to be free from “cruel and unusual punishment” since homeless people need to sleep and rest and the city did not provide them with the means to do so. This ruling called into question CA State Municipal Code 647 (e) which states that “lodging in any building, structure, vehicle or place, whether public of private, without the permission of the owner or person entitled to the possession or control of it.” Municipalities that have tried to implement this law could face law suits if they do so. Public funds created public walkways and the public should have a right to use them if the is no other legal place to rest.

8.    It is immoral and against God’s laws to prevent someone from shelter and rest. Within most religious teachings, including Christianity, believers are directed to protect the rights of the poor and those without a home. “A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge” (Proverbs 29:7).  “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35-36 )  See https://www.openbible.info/topics/helping_the_homeless

9.    It is against the UN International Declaration of Human Rights to prevent sleeping which is a basic human need to survive. The US was a signatory of UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This Declaration is not legally binding but sets a moral standard by which nations are judged and to which they are supposed to aspire. Article 25 states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.” In 1949, Congress enacted the US Housing Act, which called for “a decent and suitable living environment for every American family.”  Our nation’s and our city’s aspirational goal is to provide affordable housing for everyone, not criminalize those who can’t afford housing. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_housing

Talking Points-Anti-camping and aggressive panhandling talking points: Myths and Stereotypes about Homelessness

For year’s cities and their residents have been dealing with how to respond to the realities modern homelessness and poverty. We often labelled those without a home as “the homeless” and as people who ask for money in public areas as panhandlers.  These two behaviors are separate but are often cited together by cities addressing “The Homelessness Issue”.  Cities are often prompted to respond in some manner, usually through criminalization measures, due to public complaints, demands on law enforcement and legal departments, public health and public safety concerns, which are at times perpetuated by stereotypes and improper understanding of human relations.

10. Myth: People who beg on the street make vast amounts of money. A Pasadena police officer publicly stated that panhandlers make $200 an hour in Pasadena.

Reality: This is a rumor that has been passed around. If true, this would make Pasadena the most generous city in California. In San Francisco, a study showed that panhandlers average $25 per day.  Regardless perceptions the community has of persons who are asking for money, it is still right to free speech.

• Many people panhandle because they cannot find work or affordable housing, or live on the limited income they receive from SSI or from GR. Most homeless people would prefer to work than panhandle. Albuquerque’s Republican mayor offered homeless residents a chance to clean streets, and this program proved very successful. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/08/11/this-republican-mayor-has-an-incredibly-simple-idea-to-help-the-homeless-and-it-seems-to-be-working and https://thinkprogress.org/everything-you-think-you-know-about-panhandlers-is-wrong-36b41487730d#.t8sjkvbia
• Reason to ask for money in public is complex and individual. Many do so in order to pay their rent or keep their cars. Pasadena Police also stated publicly that some panhandlers have homes (and even Mercedes!), thereby implying they didn’t need to beg for money. It is true that some people who ask for money do live in cars, motels or shared apartments, and panhandle to make rent payments, or to cover car expenses. If they didn’t panhandle, many would end up destitute on the street. It should also be noted that 45% of homeless people work part-time and 10% of students in California’s higher education system are homeless at some point.  http://www.lifeofthelaw.org/2014/06/the-right-to-beg/  and http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070902357.html

11. Myth: “Homeless people” are “service-resistant,” because they want to live on the streets. A police officer from Pasadena’s Hope Team stated that 80% of homeless people are “service resistant” implying homeless folks prefer living on the street.

Reality: t is true that there are people who do not want to go to shelters, or be forced into treatment. Some prefer jail to a treatment center. Many suffer from mental illness or substance use issues making them wary of authorities.  With time and trust building on the part of HOPE team and Coordinated Entry System and Street Outreach teams, many are now in housing. The reason why permanent Supportive Housing is so effective is that it provides permanent housing first—bypassing the shelters and transitional housing, thus ending homelessness. Folks can enter housing, get stable and then work on their issues. One doctor who works with homeless people said that he wishes he could write a prescription an apartment and then renew it twelve times! Supportive housing doesn’t need to be renewed.

• Pasadena has housed over 80 of the most chronically homeless and Utah has housed 90% of its chronically homeless folk using the Housing First model, which offers chronically homeless people a permanent, affordable home with wrap-around services if they are desired. With the right approach, the vast majority of homeless people are willing and able to be housed and many will seek treatment voluntarily when they are ready. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/10/459100751/utah-reduced-chronic-homelessness-by-91-percent-heres-how

12. Myth: Recent changes to State Laws have seen the release of large numbers of former inmates from jails, and most end up homeless, leading to an increase in crime.

Reality: Thanks to Prop 57, and requirements by the Supreme Court to reduce prison crowding, California has dramatically lowered incarceration—by about 55,000 inmates since 2006—with no broad increase in crime.

• Yet recidivism rates remain high and corrections spending continues to rise. Many people released from jail end up on the street and return to prison because of a lack of support services.  Rather than send homeless former inmates back to jail (where it cost $64,000 a year to house in 2016), inmates who are trying to reenter society need to be supported. http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=1208 and http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/re_en and pasadenastarnews.com/article/ZZ/20111219/NEWS/111219233

13. Myth: We need more laws to address camping on the street.

Reality: Existing laws and codes that address these behaviors. Pasadena police do not need “new tools,” i.e. more stringent laws, to protect the public from aggressive panhandlers and camping.  These current laws already provide ample protection to businesses and property owners:

1. If anyone leaves something (e.g. a tent or sleeping bag) on someone else’s private property, the owner can toss it in the trash or sell it as abandoned property. If someone leaves their property on a publicly owned site, according to Officer Domino Scott-Jackson, police have a right to evict people from a public place using a 72 hour notice and at hour 73, their belongings can then be removed. Items must be kept in storage for 30 days. If they aren’t claimed, they can be disposed of.\
2. Property owners have a right to put up a No Trespassing sign on their property. If someone goes on their property without permission to do so, they can call the police and the police on request of the owner can arrest the person for trespassing under Penal Code (PC) 602(o)(2).
3. A business owner can file a “Trespass Enforcement Authorization Letter” with the police department that allows officers to make arrests of those individuals who are on the property after hours. If that letter were not on file, the officers could not request the individuals to leave or make any arrests. They would have to contact the owners every single time they find people at the property to investigate whether or not the person has permission from the owner to be there.
4. A person can be arrested for illegal camping or lodging under Pasadena Municipal code(PMC) 3.24.110(8) and/or Penal Code(PC) 647(e)
5. A person in possession of a shopping cart (with an identified business) could face a violation of PMC9.62.070 and PC485.
6. Businesses and churches that are open to the public have the right to ask folks to leave under PC602(o)(2). When the owner asks someone to leave and they refuse, they can be arrested.
7. Currently, it’s not illegal to pan-handle in Pasadena, as long as you are not blocking the driveway, impeding traffic or standing in the street (See Vehicle Code 22520.5(a) – infraction). But threatening behavior by a panhandler can be considered “accosting,” a crime according to California Penal Code Section 647.

If someone feels harassed by a pan handler, a citizen’s arrest can be made, showing that the panhandler intends to do something illegal, under code PC647(c), which addresses  aggressive panhandling.

I’m thrilled to be invited to teach again this semester at Azusa Pacific University in their MA Social work department. If you are interested or know of others how might be there are still openings. It will begin January 11th.  Below is the syllabus for the course. Let me know if you would like for me to send send you the steps to register as a non-APU student and/or as a auditor. Jill Shook (jill@makinghousinghappen.com)

SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK, MSW PROGRAM

SOCW 595 Special Topics:

Housing Justice and Community Organizing: Theological and Practical Perspectives

3 Units

Spring 2016

Credit Hour Policy: Following the APU Credit Hour policy, to meet the identified student learning outcomes the course, the expectations are that this three unit course, delivered over a 15 week term, will approximate three hours/week classroom or direct faculty instruction. In addition out of class student work will approximate a minimum of nine hours per week.

Professor: Jill Shook, MA, D-Min

Class Day/Time: Tuesdays 4:20-7:20pm

Class Location: Wynn 4

Office Location: Wynn 1, Adjunct Office

Office Hours: By appointment

Contact Information:

Jill Shook (626) 675-1316    Email: jill@makinghousinghappen.com

Emergency Phone #: (626) 857-2401 (MSW Program Office) Weekdays 8:30-4:30 pm

University Mission Statement: Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical Christian community of disciples and scholars who seek to advance the work of God in the world through academic excellence in liberal arts and professional programs in higher education that encourage students to develop a Christian perspective of truth and life.

MSW Mission Statement: The MSW Program in the Department of Social Work at Azusa Pacific University seeks to develop competent advanced social work practitioners who can integrate the knowledge, values, and skills of social work to advance social justice and provide services to assist individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Grounded in the profession’s Code of Ethics and sensitivity to diversity, the MSW Program is committed to excellence in our teaching and scholarship, the integration of faith and learning, the development of professional leadership, and the strengthening of communities in local, national, and international contexts.

Course Description: This course offers a theological and practical understanding of how the pursuit of community transformation and housing justice are part of God’s mission and the mission of social work. It provides a comprehensive look at ways to house our communities in light of biblical land use laws, and the just and fair distribution of land and housing. We will examine case studies of how churches and Gospel-driven visionaries, community developers, advocates and community organizers are addressing the housing crisis, creating affordable housing, and thereby transforming people and communities. Interactive assignments and site visits will provide students with first-hand experiences to engage with processes of systemic change within a community, affordable housing developers and best practice models.

Student Learning Outcomes and Expected Competencies:  (Each measurable learning outcome is followed by assignment or activity used to assess learning outcome.)  By the end of this course student will be able to:

REQUIRED TEXTS

Primary textbooks:

• Brueggemann, W. (2002). The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith (Second ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress.
• Desmond, M. (2016). Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Penguin Random House LLC, New York: Crown Publishing Group.
• Shook, J.S. (Ed.). (2012). Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models. (2012). (J. S. Shook Ed. Second ed.). Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books: A Division of Wipf and Stock Publishers.
• Mallach, A. (2009). A Decent Home: Planning, Building, and Preserving Affordable Housing. Chicago, IL, Washington, D.C.: American Planning Association.
• Salvatierra, A., & Heltzel, P. (2014). Faith-rooted Community Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Articles and portions of texts:

Leighninger, L., & Popple, P. R. (2005). Social Work, Social Welfare, and American Society (Sixth ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. (Chapter 14).

Davis, M. (1992). City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles. New York, NY: Vintage Books. Chapter 3, Homegrown Revolution.

(Free PDF: http://ouleft.org/wp-content/uploads/Mike_Davis_City_of_Quartz.pdf)

On-line articles and sites:

Christian Community Development Association

https://www.ccda.org/

Shaw, R. (2016). Why Can’t Harlem Stop Gentrification?. The Shelterforce Blog. http://www.rooflines.org/4523/why_cant_harlem_stop_gentrification/

Search several articles from the ShelterForce and Rooflines archives website (http://www.shelterforce.org/)

Dreier, P. (1989, April 1). The phony case against rent control. The Progressive. Retrieved from http://scholar.oxy.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1364&context=uep_faculty.

Rothstein, R. (2014). The Making of Ferguson: Public Policies at the Root of its Troubles. Retrieved from http://www.epi.org/publication/making-ferguson/

Recommended optional reading of one of the following will provide extra course credit:

Bakke, Ray. (1997). A Theology Big as the City. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.   

Chambers, E. T. (2004). Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action, and Justice. New York, NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group, Inc.

Fuller, M. (1994). The Theology of the Hammer. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.

Gordon, Wayne. (1995). Real Hope in Chicago: The Incredible Story of How the Gospel is Transforming a Chicago Neighborhood. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Gorringe, T. J. (2002). A Theology of the Built Environment: Justice, Empowerment, Redemption. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Jacobsen, E. O. (2003). Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.

Jacobsen, E. O. (2012). The Space Between: A Christian Engagement with the Built Environment. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Linthicum, R. (2003). Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your Community. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Lupton, R. D. (1989). Theirs is the Kingdom: Celebrating the Gospel in Urban America. New York, NY: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.

Medoff, Peter, and Sklar, Holly. (1994).. Streets of Hope: The Fall and Rise of an Urban Neighborhood. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.

Myers, C. (2012). The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics (Seventh ed.). Washington, D.C.: The Church of the Saviour.

Smock, K. (2004). Democracy in Action: Community Organizing and Urban Change. New York: Columbia University Press.

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS

1. Three quizzes in-class:1/24 Quiz on US Housing Policy, Housing Disparity, and Trends

2/14 Quiz: Terms of Housing and Affordability, 2/21, Essay Quiz: Why are here are so many homeless? Describe the Housing First Model (25 points each = 75 points total)-

1. Five class presentations: Students will read and present on only two of the case studies from Shook, MMH:one on development models and another on  preservation models; then read and present on one chapters from Part I, II and III of Desmond’s Evicted   (20 points each=100 total)
2. Two reflection papers: one of three possible reflection papers due 1/3; one on the field trip and a Housing Models Evaluation worksheet due 3/14. (20 points each=60 total)
3. Group discussion participation based on 26 discussions, lectures, readings, research, assignments (including a visit to a city council meeting, interviewing a an affordable housing developer, research on homeless counts, housing policies, church participation).   (10 points each = 260) points total)
4. One  3-5 page book review on Brueggemann due 2/14 (30 points)
5. Final integrative theological integrative group project: 5/3 (75 points)

Criteria for Letter Grade:

Definition of Work Quality:

A:   Excellent; clearly exceeds expectations; an especially strong performance

A-:  Exceeds expectations, less strong than “A”

B+: Meets expectations very well, does not exceed them

B:   Meets expectations

B-:  Barely meets expectations

C or below:  Does not meet MSW program requirements

Course Policies

Attendance:  Arriving promptly to class fully prepared and participating actively in the class discussions/activities are important components in the learning experience.  The following standards are intended to clarify expectations and policies regarding missed class time.

1. A sign-in sheet will be used to record attendance at the beginning of each class session.  Missing any part of class may be considered an absence; student must communicate with instructor in advance of anticipated missed class time.
2. No more than one absence* is permitted per semester (for any reason).  A second absence results in a 10% reduction in the overall course grade. At faculty discretion, for a second absence students may be given the option of making up the 10% by submitting an alternative assignment as developed by the instructor to make up the class content. A third absence or missing an additional three hour period of class will result in an automatic 10% grade reduction without option for make-up.  
3. Students missing more than nine hours for three-unit course, or six hours for two-unit course will not be allowed to pass the course (resulting in an F).
4. If a student determines they have a medical condition that necessitates missing more than two consecutive coursework days or two consecutive field internship days, they can submit a department request for extended medical leave, with documentation from their treating physician, in order to work out a course plan, as indicated with the professor, to avoid grade reduction. For ongoing health related situations, students will be referred to the Learning Enrichment Center, to develop a formal plan for accommodations.   

*Note: For Saturday courses:  three hours = one absence

For three or two hour classes:  one class (three or two hours) = one absence

Professional Behavior in Classroom:  In preparation for advanced professional careers, students are expected to utilize class time well by conducting themselves as professionals throughout the education and training process.  Students must come to class on time, fully prepared, and participate actively in discussions and exercises.  Given class size, private conversations and moving around can be distracting.  

The use of cell phones or other electronic devices are not allowed in the MSW classroom; they must be turned off (or silenced) prior to class.  Laptop computers and tablets may not be utilized in class unless required for specific activities, such as note taking, or in situations involving physical accommodations.  

Policy on Late Papers:  Each day a paper is late, 5-points will be deducted from the grade.  Exceptions will be granted only under emergency circumstances, and require written student documentation of the need for an extension and identification of an alternate due date.  Computer/printer problems do not constitute acceptable excuse for lateness.  Written instructor approval of extension requests is required to avoid point deductions.  No credit will be given for assignments turned in following the date identified on an extension request unless further documentation of emergency circumstances can be provided by the student, and their physician or another emergency service provider.

Policy on Paper Submission Process: This instructor does not accept e-mailed papers. Papers are due in class on the date indicated.  Instructors may choose whether or not to accept e-mailed papers.  Students accept all risks related to computer, server, and attachment problems.  Papers received by e-mail following the due date are subject to the late paper policy.  Likewise, papers submitted by mail or after hours (i.e., under the instructor’s office door or other locations) require instructor permission and are subject to the late paper policy.  Students accept all risks related to delayed mail delivery, custodian actions and other circumstances of misplacement.  

Policy on Incompletes:  Incompletes will only be assigned in medical emergency situations involving the student or a person with a close personal relationship to the student.  Formal, signed documentation from a physician, nurse, or other emergency service provider will be required, and may be faxed if necessary.  Both student and instructor must also fully complete and sign a contract for incomplete grade assignments; this may also be done by fax if necessary.  Both formal documentation of the emergency situation and the contract must be provided by the date the final assignment is due for the student to receive an incomplete.  If signed documents are not received, then the student will be graded according to assignments previously completed in the course.  Assignments of failing grades will be permanent.  In order to avoid this situation, students are strongly encouraged to complete assignments well in advance of due dates.

Policy on Information Literacy and Use of the Library:  Information literacy is defined as a

“set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the

ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” (American Library

Association, 1989). In this course, teaching and learning processes will employ the following

information literacy standards, as endorsed by the American Association for Higher Education

(1999), the Association of College and Research Libraries (2000), and the Council of

Independent Colleges (2004). The students in this course will:

• determine the nature and extent of the information needed.
• access needed information effectively and efficiently.
• evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.
• individually or as a member of a group, use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
• understand many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and use information ethically and legally.

This course requires students to complete course assignments using resources available from the University Libraries.  

Academic Integrity Policy:  The mission of Azusa Pacific University includes cultivating in each student not only the academic skills that are required for a university degree, but also the characteristics of academic integrity that are integral to a sound Christian education.  It is therefore part of the mission of the university to nurture in each student a sense of moral responsibility consistent with the biblical teachings of honesty and accountability.  Furthermore, a breach of academic integrity is viewed not merely as a private manner between the student and an instructor but rather as an act which is fundamentally inconsistent with the purpose and mission of the entire university.  

A full description of what constitutes an academic integrity violation can be found in the APU Graduate Catalog online ( http://catalog.apu.edu/graduate/academic-policies-procedures/academic-integrity/) under Academic Policies and Procedures. Note academic integrity includes cheating (including self-plagiarism), fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. Please refer to the catalog for a full description of each of these areas. Students found to be in violation of the Academic Integrity Policy will be subject to sanctions as outlined in the catalog, and/or the Social Work Code of Conduct.

Copyright Responsibilities

Materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection. Students and faculty are both authors and users of copyrighted materials.  As a student you must know the rights of both authors and users with respect to copyrighted works to ensure compliance. It is equally important to be knowledgeable about legally permitted uses of copyrighted materials. Information about copyright compliance, fair use and websites for downloading information legally can be found at

http://apu.libguides.com/content.php?pid=241554&search_terms=copyright

Use of Turnitin.com:  If it is suspected that a paper may not be a student’s original work, it will be submitted for review by Turnitin.com. Upon receipt of the Originality Report, the student may be asked to meet with the instructor to discuss the findings as reported by this system.  Evidence of plagiarism is subject to the Academic Integrity Policy, as detailed above.

Department and University Policies:  All university and departmental policies affecting student work, appeals, and grievances, as outlined in the Graduate Catalog and/or Department Handbook will apply, unless otherwise indicated in this syllabus.

Support Services:  Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should meet with an advisor in the Learning Enrichment Center (LEC) as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss reasonable accommodations that will allow the opportunity for full participation and for successful completion of course requirements.  For more information, please visit www.apu.edu/lec, or contact the LEC by phone at 626-815-3849, or email at lec@apu.edu.

Emergency Procedures:  It is recommended that you inform contacts, such as family members, of pertinent course information in case of an emergency.  This includes the class title, meeting time, room, and building location.  The APU main campus phone number is (626) 969-3434 for such inquiries.

Course Schedule

*Note: Course subject to change at the discretion of the professor based on

the learning needs of the class.

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Bakke, Ray, with Hart, Jim. (1997). A Theology as Big as the City.  Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity         Press.

Bobo, Kimberley A., Jackie Kendall, and Steve Max. (2010). Organizing for Social Change. 4th ed.         The Forum Press.

Bowly, Devereaux Jr.. (1978). The Poorhouse: Subsidized Housing in Chicago 1895-1976.  London         and Amsterdam: Southern Illinois University Press.

Castellanos, Noel. (2015) Where the cross meets the street: What happens to the neighborhood when         God is at the center. InterVarsity Press.

Chambers, Edward T. with Cowan, Michael.  (2004). Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action,     and Justice. NY: The Continuum International Publishing Group.

Davis, Mike. (1992). City of Quartz. New York: Vintage Books.

Davis, Sam. (1997). The Architecture of Affordable Housing. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London:             University of California Press.

Dayton, Donald W. (1976). Discovering an Evangelical Heritage. New York:  Harper and Row.

Dreier, Peter, and Mollenkopf, John and Swanstrom, Todd. (2001).  Place Matters: Metropolitics for         the Twenty-first Century, University Press of Kansas.

Eldon, George. (1977). The Gospel of the Kingdom. Ladd, Eerdmans reprint from The Pasternoster         1959

Emerson, Michael and Smith, Christian. (2000). Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the         Problem of Race in America. Oxford, UK: Oxford Press,

Fuller, Millard. (1994). The Theology of the Hammer. Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys Publishing.

Freidrichs, Chad, director. (2011). The Pruitt-Igo Myth. United States: firstrunfeatures.com.

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Gordon, Wayne L. with Randall Frame. (1995). Real Hope for Chicago: The incredible story of how the     Gospel is transforming a Chicago neighborhood. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing         House.

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Gutierrez, Gustavo. (2004). The Power of the Poor in History. Wipf & Stock Publishers.

Iglesias, Tim,  and Rochelle E. Lento, eds. (2011)  The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing             Development. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association Publishing.

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Jacobs, Jane. (1992) The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York, NY: Vintage Books.

Jacobson, Eric O. (2012). The Space Between: A Christian Engagement with the Built Environment.         Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Jacobson, Eric O. (2003). Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith. Grand         Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.

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 I was pleased and grateful that Steve Scauzillo wrote this piece for the Pasadena Star News about my book and ministry. I hope that you can make it to my book signing today at 4:00 PM at Archives, 396 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA.

http://wordpress.com/#!/read/following/

Steve Scauzillo: Pasadenan builds housing from scripture

Posted: 02/08/2013 03:08:30 PM PST

February 8, 2013 11:21 PM GMTUpdated: 02/08/2013 03:19:59 PM PST

AS a journalist, I’m not always free to present solutions. We abide by the code “just the facts, ma’am” and then we’re off to the next story.

In opinion, however, facts can combine with advocacy. I can talk about a problem and say what I think can solve it.

No one does this better than my friend Jill Shook, whose book “Making Housing Happen” speaks of loving thy neighbor as a framework for solving the country’s housing crisis. But more than rhetoric, Shook puts up the drywall and nails the roof shingles using examples from Atlanta to New York, from Chicago to Pasadena.

In the introduction, Shook writes: “`Making Housing Happen’ illustrates in concrete ways how congregations and faith-based groups developed affordable housing in their communities.”

Full disclosure: Jill and I volunteered together in the 1990s and early 2000s to form Lake Avenue Church’s Community Outreach Team. We worked on loving the poor, from those with AIDs to the homeless to the hungry. Shook is also a member of the church I attend now, One Voice Church, also in Pasadena.

I’ve heard a lot of rhetoric and biblical philosophy in my day, but rarely do I hear someone mix the Bible’s words with action the way Shook’s done in her life and in her book.

“The first argument in the Bible between Abraham and Lot was about land. The first five books of the Old Testament are about preparing to go into the Promised Land,” Shook explained at a recent packed gathering at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.

The Old Testament philosophy of resting on the seventh day, resting the land in the seventh year and starting over on the 50th year (Jubilee) lays the foundation for faith- based groups of today to reclaim burned out and boarded up neighborhoods.

The prophets would lament the breaking of these land laws, Shook said, mostly because people became greedy and forgot the poor.

Lee Stuart and John Heinemeier wrote a chapter in her book about the Nehemiah Strategy, based on the prophet’s call for unity and face-to- face meetings.

About 30 churches from the South Bronx convinced government agencies to give them the blighted land and they turned them into viable affordable housing.

“They said we have resources. We have burned-out houses. But we have the land. And we don’t want outsiders to define us,” Shook said.

In Hawaii, churches demanded banks give homeowners facing foreclosure face-to-face meetings. Hawaii made it law. “That cut the foreclosure rate in half,” Shook said.

Sometimes, the people can do it without the government. Sometimes, the people can influence government policies.

In Pasadena, Shook helped shape the city’s inclusionary-housing law, which says a developer must set aside 15 percent of the units for low- and moderate-income residents.

I’ll close with this example.

Shook read about a housing development called Westgate in our paper. She called the developer and he said he would build some units at the “moderate-income” level. She said she would bring churches and advocacy groups in support but only if they lowered the threshold.

“Two weeks later, I get a call. He decided to go up to 20 percent of all units and said they would all be very low-income,” Shook remembered.

About 97 units were offered for about $500 a month to those who couldn’t afford Southern California’s high housing prices.

The idea is to get at the foundation of poverty. Finding people housing and employment. Somehow, with the mortgage meltdown of 2008, we’ve gone backward. Shook points to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, where the early church practiced God’s principals for housing, land and loving thy neighbor.

“It says in Acts 4: `There was no poor among them,”‘ she said.

Shook and friend Bert Newton (“Subversive Wisdom,” WIPF & Stock, 2012) will sign their books at 4 p.m. Saturday at Archives book store, 396 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena.

steve.scauzillo@sgvn.com

626-544-0843

 http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_22551283/steve-scauzillo-pasadenan-builds-housing-from-scripture#ixzz2KPvh2EGW

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_22551283/steve-scauzillo-pasadenan-builds-housing-from-scripture