Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness

Nye, an assistant director of programs at the Center in Hollywood serving unhoused people, debuts with a sobering call for Christians to end housing insecurity. Citing a poll showing that Christians are more likely than the general population to blame poverty on a lack of effort, Nye encourages Christians to extend grace to unhoused people and provides recommendations for remedying homelessness. He decries the “merit-based model” for shelters that requires unhoused people to demonstrate compliance with sometimes onerous rules, and notes, “God freely offers us mercy and love in abundance not because we deserve it, not because of who we are, but because of who God is.” Instead, Nye advocates for a “housing first model” that gives individuals a choice of housing in their communities and offers voluntary medical and addiction services. Nye’s compassion and deep knowledge of the homelessness crisis make this an invaluable resource for Christians looking to put their faith into action, even if material on mental illness and substance abuse sometimes repeats from chapter to chapter. This thoughtful examination of a complex problem is practical and inspiring in equal measure. (Aug.)