ANTH 3368 Urban Life

Homelessness in Dallas -- 1997

Robert V. Kemper

Homelessness is a social problem that has not only causes but consequences. In the most tragic of cases, these consequences are fairly straightforward: they die. But for those who don’t, the consequences of homelessness are still quite significant. Homelessness transforms the lives of those who experience it (Dordick 1997:191).

How are we to define homelessness in the Dallas context? Is it simply "those on the streets without a physical roof over their heads . . ." (Rosenthal 1994:5)? Or, does it involve a more complex "cultural" or "structural" dimension of permanent poverty to which political, social welfare, and religious institutions struggle to respond?

What all commentators can agree on is the following observation: "The homeless are desperately poor. The conditions in which they live are hard for many even to contemplate. They still have something left to lose, however. The lives they have improvised in the empty spaces of our public world are meaningful, complicated, and consuming. The relationships they engage in are sources of satisfaction and anguish, of security and uncertainty. It is in the context of what they have, not what they lack, that those who seek to improve their circumstances must provide solutions" (Dordick 1997:201).

Today, three years after the intensive local attention given to the homeless before the 1994 World Cup, the homeless are still with us in Dallas. Indeed, if current reports are to be believed, homelessness and its associated problems is far from disappearing despite significant improvements in the local and national economies. According to a survey (see Appendix 1) carried out in April 1997, the homeless population in Dallas is similar to that in other urban areas in the United States. Two-thirds of the local homeless population is composed of members of ethnic minorities, with the single largest group (56%) being African American. The survey also revealed that slightly more than half (53%) of the homeless are males. Of the group surveyed, adults only accounted for 65%; the remaining 35% constitute a dependent population doubly at risk in the homeless situation. In fact, 26% of the respondents said that they had minor children with them.

A recent survey, conducted in 29 cities (not including Dallas) for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, reports that "of the homeless population, about 47% are single men, 36% families with children, 14% single women, and 4% minors’ (Dallas Morning News, Monday, December 15, 1997, page 3-A). This national urban survey supports the view that the homeless in Dallas are not dissimilar from the homeless across the country.

The survey documented that 60% of the homeless had been in Dallas for five or more years, although 28% reported that they have lived in the city for less than one year. Among the persons surveyed, 77% indicated that they had been homeless for less than one year and a similar proportion (73%) reported that they were currently unemployed. With respect to their housing arrangements, 45% of the respondents reported that they live in shelters while another 29% reported that they live in medically assisted or transitional housing situations. Most of the rest report that they lived in camps, abandoned buildings, cars, and with friends.

The health profile of the persons surveyed is discouraging: 35% had a history of either drug or alcohol abuse; 23% had a history of mental illness; 18% had tested positively for HIV; 15% were homeless due to incidents of spousal abuse; and 8% had tested positively for TB.

Responding to the Homeless

How does Dallas respond to the homeless? Working together, diverse governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector have formed an intricate network to provide essential services to deal with the homeless "problem." This network operates to implement government-funded programs aimed at the homeless.

In 1985, then Mayor Starke Taylor established a Mayoral Committee on the Homeless and then in 1990 (while Annette Strauss was Mayor) a study of homeless issues was sponsored by the Community Council of Great Dallas. More recently, in 1994 (while Steve Bartlett was Mayor) the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) and the 1995 Homeless Assistance Plan was commissioned by the Dallas Association of Services to the Homeless (DASH). In 1995, the City of Dallas and DASH collaborated on a comprehensive plan which resulted in a submission to H.U.D. of single Continuum of Care for supportive housing for the homeless and also developed a Consolidated Plan which included a homeless needs assessment. In 1996 (with Ron Kirk as Mayor), the City of Dallas submitted its first Consolidated Application for the Continuum of Care for the Homeless. The application requested 19 proposed projects (valued at more than $18 million), but only five were funded for a total of slightly more than $5.3 million.

Since January 1997, The City of Dallas, in collaboration with DASH and other agencies and organizations, has been preparing its most recent H.U.D. proposal -- which is expected to be funded soon, so that monies will become available to agencies in 1998. The full list of coordinating groups, networks, coalitions, public entities, service providers, other private nonprofit organizations/programs/projects, and business groups involved in this process are listed in Appendix 2.

The 1997 Directory of Social Services (issued by the Community Council of Greater Dallas, 212 Main St., Suite 500, Dallas TX 75201-4383; 214-741-5851) provides information on several hundred Dallas agencies involved in the delivery of social services, many of which involve the homeless. The list includes: AIDS Services of Dallas (PWA’s only); Austin Street Shelter; Collin County Care Center, Inc./Samaritan Inn; Community Living Skills Training Center; Dallas Jewish Coalition for the Homeless; Dallas Life Foundation; Day Resource Center, City of Dallas; Family Gateway; Homeless Health Care Team, City of Dallas; Homeless Outreach Program, Dallas County; Housing Crisis Center; Promise House; Reconciliation Outreach; Salvation Army; Shared Housing Center, Inc.; The Stewpot; Trinity Ministry to the Poor; and Union Gospel Mission.

Some of these homeless program agencies are also described in the Holiday Harvest: 1997 Holiday volunteer opportunities guide (published by the Volunteer Center of Dallas County with the cooperation of the Business Volunteer Council and GTE Directories). The Volunteer Center of Dallas County (214-826-6767) serves as a clearinghouse to recruit and refer volunteers and provide other resources to more than 1,000 agencies in the north Texas area. It is committed to helping individuals, companies and groups find meaningful volunteer work during the holiday season and throughout the year. In the 1997 Holiday Harvest, volunteer opportunities are offered with six agencies concerned with the homeless: Dallas Life Foundation, Day Resource Center for the Homeless, Family Gateway, The Stewpot/First Presbyterian Church, Trinity Ministry to the Poor, and the Wilkinson Center.

An interesting feature of this Directory is that, in addition to the standard address, phone, and volunteer coordinator information, for each of the agencies a brief "mission statement" and data on the "client base" is provided.

These six agencies are a microcosm of the "industry" of agencies concerned with the homeless as a subset of the needy in the Dallas area. Their mission statements are similar (although some emphasize families and children rather than just adults), but their client bases are quite variable, especially in terms of the proportion of African-Americans involved in their programs. At the high end are Family Gateway (93%) and the Day Resource Center (85%); in the mid-range are Dallas Life Foundation (60%) and Trinity Ministry to the Poor (40%); and at the low end are the Wilkinson Center (25%) and the Stewpot/First Presbyterian Church (3%). The range of Hispanics provided with services at these agencies is, not surprisingly, the obverse of the African-American situation. The Stewpot/First Presbyterian Church (95%) and the Wilkinson Center (55%) are the primary providers to Hispanics; the other four agencies have small Hispanic client bases, ranging from 15% at Trinity Ministry to the Poor, 10% at Dallas Life Foundation, 5% at the Day Resource Center, and just 1% at Family Gateway. In effect, a certain ethnic "segregation" exists among the agencies and the clients themselves with regard to the program participation of African-Americans and Hispanics. What is unspoken, of course, is that all of the agencies have very small numbers of Anglo clients.

Six Agencies with programs for the Homeless

Dallas Life Foundation (214-421-1380; volunteer coordinator, Wanda Bailey)

mission: to provide food, shelter, clothing and counseling for the poor and homeless of the Dallas area; and to help the needy return to society in a productive and positive manner.

client base: 60% African-American; 20% Anglo; 10% Hispanic; 10% other.

Day Resource Center for the Homeless (214-670-3043; volunteer coordinator, Ron Cowart)

mission: to provide a safe environment and a wide range of social services designed to enable the homeless to become self-sufficient.

client base: 85% African-American; 10% Anglo; 5% Hispanic.

Family Gateway (214-741-6515, ext. 127; volunteer coordinator, Jennifer Myers)

mission: to provide basic needs of food and shelter for homeless families with children; and to counsel and train adults to effectively handle personal, social, familial and financial crises.

client base: 93% African-American; 5% Anglo; 1% Asian; 1% Hispanic.

The Stewpot/First Presbyterian Church (214-748-8051; volunteer coordinators, Ellen O’Brien or Sandy Wylie)

mission: to offer a haven for homeless and needy men, women, and children; and to provide meals, dental services, emergency food pantry, caseworker assistance, employment assistance and special educational programs.

client base: 3% African-American; 2% Anglo; 95% Hispanic.

Trinity Ministry to the Poor (214-653-1711; volunteer coordinator, Jamie Wakefield)

mission: to provide for the poor through compassionate caring, concern and action.

client base: 40% African-American; 40% Anglo; 5% Asian; 15% Hispanic.

The Wilkinson Center(214-821-6380; volunteer coordinator, Brian Burton)

mission: to provide job counseling, clothing, food and emergency assistance to the needy and homeless people of East Dallas.

client base: 25% African-American; 1% American Indian; 15% Anglo; 4% Asian; 55% Hispanic.

Governmental Responses to the Homeless

The City of Dallas and other governmental entities have a primary responsibility to deal with the homeless population. At one level, government approaches the homeless as a population through the police, health care services, and other departments involved in crisis and chronic problem resolution. Often, this approach is adversarial (at least when judged from the perspective of the homeless); other times, it is merely bureaucratic. Occasionally, it is life-saving.

In Dallas, the City of Dallas is the lead organization in operating what is called a "Continuum of Care System" in the 1997 federal grant competition (through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homeless Assistance Grant SuperNOFA).

Appendix 2 summarizes the "Continuum of Care Narrative" in which are discussed: (1) the geographic area covered by the Continuum of Care System and (2) the Community’s process for developing a Continuum of Care strategy. This process involved the (a) foundation for the Continuum of Care strategy, (b) a brief historical summary, (c) a summary of 1996-1997 activities (and participating organizations and meetings) related to preparation of the grant proposal for the SuperNOFA competition

The Dallas Association of Services to the Homeless [DASH] is a primary coalition intended (through monthly meetings, held at 1:30 pm on each 4th Thursday) to share information about and provide advocacy for the homeless. The current President of DASH is Carol Frank, Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s Carr P. Collins Social Service Center (214-688-4494) and the Director of DASH is Jan Mitura, Executive Director of Family Gateway (214-741-6515).

The Dallas Homeless Consortium overlaps with DASH in its membership and is facilitated by the City of Dallas to seek funds related to homeless issues. The Facilitator for DHC is Jack Bunning, Chairman of the City of Dallas’s Human Services Commission.

To illustrate the range of activities involved in governmental programs aimed at the homeless, we might examine a number of different programs. Four important examples of governmental response to the homeless in Dallas include: the Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT); the Homeless Health Care Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program; and the Day Resource Center.

Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWT)

The Compensated Work Therapy Program (coordinated by Sandra Conway; 214-670-3542) is offered through the City of Dallas to a specific group of the homeless: adults who are unemployed, who are not veterans, and who are substance abusers. The program provides this group with the opportunity to receive a weekly paycheck while obtaining chemical dependency counseling, job readiness training, as well as employment and housing referral services.

Homeless Health Care Program

The Homeless Health Care program is operated through the Environmental and Health Services office of the Community Services Division of the City of Dallas. Its purpose is the provision of accessible quality medical care to all homeless individuals in the city. The goal is to reduce the incidence of acute illnesses and complications of chronic illnesses commonly found among homeless clients.

The program provides: primary health care, mental health services, dental health services, case management, substance abuse counseling, and optometry services to homeless clients. For the past ten years, the City of Dallas has received funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service to provide health care services for homeless individuals and families in Dallas. Total funding for fiscal year 1995-1996 was $569,879.

The program offers regularly scheduled clinic hours at some 20 clinic sites throughout the city, including Austin Street Shelter, Dallas Life Foundation, Family Gateway, Union Gospel Mission, Stewpot, Gateway Transition, Casa de los Amigos, Promise House, Family Place, Genesis Women’s House, Vogel Alcove, Day Resource Center, Nexus, Interfaith Housing, Brighter Tomorrows, Salvation Army, Old City Park, West Dallas Shelter, Ruff House, and Exodus. In addition, the program has contracted for medical services with Parkland Memorial Hospital (including substance abuse treatment), with Dental Health Services, Inc., and with Dallas Services for the Visually Impaired.

The Homeless Health Care Program records "encounters" with its clients as follows: 9,000 medical encounters, 3,009 counseling encounters, 2,862 dental encounters, and 1,100 mental health encounters for the latest year of service.

Shelter Plus Care Program

The Shelter Plus Care Program is operated by the Environmental and Health Services office of the Community Services Division of the City of Dallas. This program is designed to provide rental assistance and supportive services to those homeless people of Dallas who also suffer from mental illness, alcohol problems, and other drug addictions. The goals of the program are residential stability, increased skill levels and/or income, and greater self-determination for all participants.

The program was started in July 1993 with a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development which was funded in December 1993 and approved by the City Council in February 1994. The first clients were enrolled in the program in August 1994 -- in the period of the World Cup soccer matches in Dallas.

The two components of the project include (1) a focus on the homeless who are disabled with alcohol and/or drug addictions and (2) a focus on assistance to the homeless mentally ill. Services of the Shelter Plus Care include: case management, referral for treatment, employment counseling and job assistance, health care, living skills enhancement, rental assistance, and legal assistance. Matching supportive services are provided to clients of the Shelter Plus Care program from the following agencies: Dallas County Mental Health and Mental Retardation (for mental health case management; value of service = $1,490,520); City of Dallas, Environmental and Health Services (casework, medical treatment, drug/alcohol counseling, outreach and employment training; value of services = $1,428,600); Stewpot/First Presbyterian Church (transportation assistance, food assistance, birth certificate, identification cards; value of services = $21,000); Legal Services of North Texas (civil legal service; value of services = $18,400); and Private Industry Council (job training and employment services; value of services = $394,565).

Day Resource Center

Founded in November 1987, the Day Resource Center (901 South Ervay St., 214-670-3049; program manager, Ron Cowart) is a multi-service center for the homeless. Fourteen agencies cooperate to provide services at the Center during its hours of operation from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays; 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The staff at the Center is eager to extend the hours and days of service to reach more homeless persons.

The Center, which averages some 200 clients daily (but may reach as many as 500 on a very cold day), was created to develop innovative approaches to help homeless persons so that they can make the long-term transition to independent living and self-sufficiency. The Center deals with three main needs of the homeless: health/mental care, job training, and housing. These services are provided by the following entities:

Dallas Housing Authority: once-a-week interviews and accepts applications from physically/mentally disabled persons and senior citizens to determine eligibility for public housing;

Dallas County Human Services: once a week assesses the needs of individuals on a case-by-case basis, provides emergency aid to physically/mentally impaired individuals, assists individuals in applying for benefits, and refers clients to appropriate medical and/or counseling services;

The Homeless Health Care Team: composed of an internist, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, social workers, and a team manager, the Team focuses on medical/dental health, alcoholism, drug abuse, epilepsy, domestic violence, immunization, and senior citizen services.

Employment and Placement Services: available five days/week to assist individuals in seeking employment and with job training;

Texas Rehabilitation Counselors: once a week provide physical/mental services to clients referred by MHR specialists;

Dallas County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Agency: have permanent offices at the Center, where they assist the mental handicapped in obtaining treatment and relief funds for which they are eligible. They also provide support group sessions, life skills classes, and psychological counseling.

Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselors: provide counseling and treatment referrals for individuals with substance abuse problems and also hold Alocholics Anonymous classes five days/week;

Social Services Caseworkers: available to assist eligible individuals with referrals, information, birth certificates, bus passes, and other needs. These caseworkers are the first contact point for clients when they come to the Day Resource Center;

Phoenix House: offers interviews and takes applications three days/week at the Center for homeless persons diagnosed with mental health problems and with drug addictions who might be eligible for transitional housing;

North Texas Legal Services: provides free legal services to the homeless at the Center each week;

Veteran Administration (VA) Homeless Outreach, VA Compensated Work Therapy, VA mental Health program, and VA Benefit Counseling: all are permanently housed at the Center and provide services five days/week;

Non-Veteran Compensated Work Therapy Program: is located at the Center and operates five days/week.

Social Security Administration: provides a wide range of services on a one day/week basis at the Center;

Texas Department of Human Services Food Stamp Office: permanently located at the Center and offers services five days/week.

Homelessness in Dallas: the Church’s Response

Since the 1980s, when the local economy suffered a serious crisis in the face of the savings and loan debacle and the decline in the oil business, Dallas has had to come face-to-face with the problems associated with homelessness. Among the many programs that might be cited here, I mention only three -- each of which has become well-known for its distinctive ministry to the homeless in central Dallas.

The Stewpot

The Stewpot was born in 1975 in the basement of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Dallas. Beginning with the serving of a hot lunch, the program soon expanded beyond the basement and in 1991 moved into the former Otis Elevator Building located just across the intersection of Park and Young to the southwest of the church. According to Mr. Dick Dennis (a former Clerk of the Session at F.P.C. and a Trustee of the F.P.C. Foundation), the moving of The Stewpot to the renovated building across the street was one of the most dramatic changes at the church in the last ten years -- because it meant that the Community Ministries could expand the number of clients, programs, and volunteer opportunities for church members and non-members as well.

The importance of The Stewpot as a community ministry and as a service provider in central Dallas cannot be over-emphasized. Not only does The Stewpot offer a hot meal program, it also offers a dental clinic, a day care program, a Saturday school program for City Park Elementary children, an Explorer Post, a college tuition program, and a new "Serving Second Chances" Scholarship Program (named in honor of the Rev. Bruce Buchanan, the director of The Stewpot). Indeed, not only is The Stewpot a critical component of the city’s approach to homelessness, it is a vital element in F.P.C.’s ministry. When asked to respond to the question "If your church were to cease to exist tomorrow, what would the community miss the most?" the senior pastor, the associate pastor, and a senior lay leader all responded that most missed would be The Stewpot and its related community-oriented ministries. And, when asked to list items for a time capsule, the senior pastor proposed "a bowl and a spoon" -- symbolic of The Stewpot -- while the associate pastor and the lay leader both suggested that "art work of The Stewpot clients" be included.

The senior men from my church (NorthPark Presbyterian, located at NorthCentral Expressway at Walnut Hill) participate as volunteers at The Stewpot once a month. when they go downtown to serve lunch on a Thursday.

Interfaith Housing Coalition

Interfaith Housing Coalition began in 1986 with the mission to provide transitional (i.e., 90-120 day) housing and job placement for homeless families. Its nationally-recognized program mandates instruction in job, living, parenting, and budgeting skills to instruct the family and break the poverty cycle.

Interfaith Housing Coalition has been awarded the Samaritan Award by the Acton Institute for its innovative and effective approach to correct the root causes of homelessness. This recognition has been followed by requests from twenty-four states for information about the Interfaith model. Some fourteen other transitional housing programs across the nation have sought advice from Interfaith and have used its materials in developing similar programs.

Interfaith prides itself on its independence from federal and United Way funding. It began as a church-funded organization and continues to be funded entirely from the private sector. Beginning with seed money from two area churches in the mid-1980s, Interfaith started with the purchase of one 12-unit apartment building. It now owns two apartment buildings and maintains 24 apartments for homeless families. Interfaith is a good example of an ecumenical church-originated program which has been able to sustain its program by focusing on a common cause in the face of divergent theological, political, and ecclesiological agenda. Interfaith currently has a strong corps of about 250 volunteers, many of whom have been with the organization since its inception. The volunteers work directly with the residents, working with them side by side to deal with the tough realities of urban life. When volunteers are asked how they know the Interfaith program works, the response sometimes is "Well, let me tell you how my life has changed." I know from the personal experience of one of my colleagues on the Mission Committee of NorthPark Presbyterian Church that Interfaith becomes a full-time way of life for its volunteers. She is now on the Board of Directors of Interfaith but still works with resident families on a one-to-one basis. Her long-term work with Interfaith recently was recognized by the company for which she works with an award of $5,000 -- made over to Interfaith to continue its good work.

I have been involved in Interfaith through the on-going participation of NorthPark Presbyterian Church in its programs. For instance, last Mother’s Day we helped the children living in the apartments to make gifts and cards for their mothers. By coincidence, on that day a TV crew from England was shooting a documentary on Interfaith as part of a program to be broadcast in England about American social philanthropy in action.

Family Gateway

In the same year, Family Gateway began to serve homeless families in downtown Dallas. They currently offer 30 short-term housing units for up to ten weeks at the Center and also have longer-term housing at the Gateway Apartments (in East Dallas) for another 25 families. Family Gateway also supports, through its Community Transition Services, an additional 200 families who move directly back into the community each year.

In addition, all parents residing at Family Gateway participate in a job search and placement assistance program called "Gateway to Jobs." This systematic approach prepares individuals to meet employment requirements. It teaches work, ethics, the habits and behaviors needed to keep a job, as well as the standards of performance required to earn a paycheck. Successful participants gain their self-sufficiency and dignity and are able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their children.

Since opening in 1986, Family Gateway has helped 2,700 families gain their independence and find homes, jobs, and hope for the future. In fact, after a stay at Family Gateway Center: 70% move into their own housing and 70% are employed or in job training. One year after leaving the Family Gateway Center of Gateway Apartments: 62% maintain employment or continue in job training and 70% continue to maintain stable housing.

I have been involved with programs at Family Gateway as part of the long-term participation of NorthPark Presbyterian Church in its ministry to the community. My family has participated in helping resident children make valentines for their parents and making Christmas gifts for their family and friends. At present, one of our NorthPark members is President of the Board of Directors of Family Gateway.

Conclusion: Implications for Urban Ministry

This profile of the homeless in Dallas shows that numerous governmental agencies and private sector (non-profit) organizations offer services to meet the needs of this population. These agencies and organizations collectively spend literally millions of dollars in Dallas each year in federal, state, and local funds on homeless issues. Moreover, thousands of volunteers devote their time, talent, and personal financial resources to help homeless individuals and families. According to Carol Frank (President of DASH), perhaps 75%-80% of the groups and individuals involved in working with the homeless are "faith-based." Indeed, hundreds of church congregations are involved in ministry to the homeless. For instance, my own church (NorthPark Presbyterian) emphasizes homeless and housing programs in its local community ministries. We have a long history of involvement with Family Gateway, Interfaith Housing Coalition, the Stewpot (at First Presbyterian Church), and the Presbyterian Housing Program.

Why are the homeless, although relatively few in number (perhaps fewer than 2,000) compared to other populations in need of special services, the object of so much attention from the public and private sectors in Dallas? Perhaps the answer is in their visibility. They are seen on street corners in the downtown area and along major thoroughfares, especially in the affluent areas of north Dallas. Especially during the holiday season, motorists and shoppers who encounter panhandlers assume that they are homeless persons. The visibility of even 2,00 persons gives the impression that homelessness is a problem of great proportion. Yet, there are surely more persons in Dallas suffering from problems associated with AIDS or other major diseases. There are many more "invisible" persons (e.g., various categories of disabled persons) who do not receive the same governmental and private sector resources which are directed daily to meeting the needs of the homeless.

The homeless are also a significant target of service agencies and individual social activism because they bring together so many diverse needs -- including housing, job training, addiction problems, and physical/mental health deficiencies. No single agency -- not even the Day Resource Center -- can always meet all of the needs of homeless persons. This reminds us how complex and specialized are the interweavings of persons’ needs and the services provided by social agencies and charitable organizations.

Moreover, despite the substantial involvement of religious organizations in programs to help the homeless, the response to the spiritual needs of the homeless is less obvious than the response to their other needs. Certainly, the separation of Church and State prevents the City of Dallas and other governmental entities from offering direct religious programs and services, but even the religiously-based organizations tend to de-emphasize their spiritual work in the face of the multiple needs of the homeless. For example, in a pamphlet entitled "Here Am I" which describes volunteer opportunities at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Dallas, the Rev. Bruce Buchanan (Associate Pastor for Programs and Director of the Stewpot) states,

Volunteers make a significant impact on all of the programs of Community Ministries. Their unselfish contributions of enthusiasm and dedication work to transform a human service provider into a ministry of caring where believers put into action the faith they profess. . . The work of a volunteer is both intentional and spontaneous. This discipline of making and keeping a commitment is filled with moments of spontaneity and insight. And sometimes these moments are filled with God as well. We praise God for all our volunteers (p. 40).

Thus, from the church’s point of view, it is not just the help provided to the homeless but also the impact on the volunteers of being involved with the homeless which is at the heart of the experience of working with the homeless. This understanding of working with the homeless is essential to overcoming the dependency inherent in being a client of social service agencies. The challenge of James 2:14ff. is illuminated in the work of the churches with the homeless in Dallas. "Faithful work" is being accomplished in partnership with a diversity of agencies and organizations concerned with the homeless. In laboring in the urban environment with the homeless, people of many faith communities are coming together -- despite doctrinal, ecclesiological, and political differences -- to provide support to many persons who have lost hope and no longer trust in God’s grace or believe in God’s peace. The sense of insecurity and risk associated with the lives of the homeless needs to be addressed not only through shelter programs and job training programs, but also by making available programs to show people on the streets that God does care for them.

This is not a simple challenge. The problem of the homeless in Dallas reflects the interaction of individual "cultural" issues and large-scale "historical-structural" dimensions of contemporary American society understood in a global context. Urban life in late 20th century America has brought the lives of the homeless to the forefront of public debate about our society’s economic and moral fabric, especially as this reflects deeply embedded values about individualism, property rights, crime, drug abuse, and racism.

All of these "hot button" issues arouse extremism among diverse people in our society, but taken together -- as must be the case if we are understand and deal with homelessness -- these issues take on special emotional meaning for many Americans. This is particularly so when many of us realize how fragile is our own purchase on economic stability. Those of us who live in fear of losing our own jobs and are heavily over-extended in this credit-driven culture worry that we also might become homeless. Thus, we are afraid to face squarely the plight of the homeless. We fear to see our own future in the faces of those standing next to the signal light with a cardboard sign proclaiming "Homeless. Need Food. May God Bless You." Instead, we should see the face of Christ in the homeless and other needy persons who represent what William Julius Wilson (1997) calls the "world of the new urban poor" in contemporary America.

Dordick, Gwendolyn A. (1997) Something Left to Lose: Personal Relationships and Survival along New York’s Homeless. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Rosenthal, Rob (1994) Homeless in Paradise: A Map of the Terrain. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Wilson, William Julius (1997) When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor. New York: Vintage Books (Random House).

1. "Dallas Survey of the Homeless." (May 1997). Dallas, TX: J-Quad & Associates, Ltd.

2. "Continuum of Care Narrative" (1997). Dallas, TX: City of Dallas.