National dilemma: "to house or not to house"

The same challenge confronts communities, especially large urban areas, all across the nation.

What are we to do with people who have no place to live?

Of course, the clear and most effective answer is to provide permanent supportive housing for anyone who is on the street and in need of a "housing solution," and provide it first.

Shelters, like the one described in the video news report, are designed to address emergency situations. However, everywhere these shelters turn into long-term housing solutions for many, something that they simply are not.

Here's a story from Denver, CO, a city where CitySquare works every day.

We hope that someday, sooner rather than later, we will be able to bring new housing stock to some of the people you'll see in the report.

And, by the way, permanent supportive housing, once built and leased, usually improves neighborhoods and mitigates complaints and fears that always crop up.

Much work to do.

Opportunity in Denver

For the past year CitySquare has been working in Denver! 

Thanks to an invitation from His Hands Christian Ministries, CitySquare has been connecting to the Denver community for almost a year. 

Johnny and Susie Davis founded this amazingly compassionate and welcoming non-profit organization in March 2008.  Since that time, His Hands has grown in reach, scope and capacity. 

Last year CitySquare and His Hands reached an agreement that promises to further expand the overall effectiveness of the Denver effort.  Now known as CitySquare Denver, the team operates a large food and clothing distribution center and more for low-income, working families, as well as for homeless persons. 

Last summer CitySquare's Food on the Move initiative served about 300 meals each day throughout the summer to Denver school children who qualified for the free and reduced meal program in public schools. 

Now CitySquare intends to launch a comprehensive program of community and human development that will, from the beginning, attempt to find ways to support already functional efforts on the ground in Denver.  As in Dallas, we will listen to "the poor," seek out partners already at work and innovate to achieve greater outcomes from our "customers," both neighbors in need and partners working alongside us.

Our first step is to find a Denver leader.  We are looking for a person who shares our mission of battling the causes and effects of poverty through service, advocacy and friendship.  We are looking for a mission-driven leader with an "entrepreneurial soul."

If you know anyone who would be interested in providing aggressive leadership to our Denver efforts, please let me know by email at ljames@CitySquare.org. I'll be pleased to share a job description.  I can't wait to visit with interested, potential leaders.