March, 2007

Celebrate America -- End Homelessness

San Jose, CA -- In coordination with the national Homelessness Marathon, over 200 people attended a President's Day barbecue organized by the Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (CHAM) to protest homelessness in America. According to one recent report, California leads the nation with 170,000 homeless people, one quarter of the country's entire homeless population.

"It is time for our state and our nation to recognize that homelessness is an emergency all year around," said CHAM's Pastor Scott Wagers. "Churches, especially have a responsibility to speak out against this injustice. The Bible says over and over that a nation that does not care for its poor is doomed for destruction. The churches have an obligation, not only to help the homeless themselves, but to speak out against wicked policies by government officials."

CHAM called on the Federal government to immediately end homelessness by expanding the Section 8 voucher program until it meets the need. There are 59,000 families on the Section 8 waiting list in San Jose. At current funding levels it will take 60 years for these families to get into the program and find affordable housing.