Calls On President Biden and Congress To Pass And Implement Existing Or New Federal Legislation To End Homelessness Now In The Spirit of the Build Back Better Legislative Framework
Life Time Gospel Music Grammy Award Winner Pastor John P. Kee & Other Renown Faith Leaders To Speak In Support of the National Campaign To Bring America Home Now!
Washington DC, March 1, 2022— On March 17, 2022 from 6:00pm-7:30pm, “The National Coalition For The Homeless,” one of the nation’s oldest advocacy organizations for the those experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC, will host interfaith leaders, families, individuals experiencing homelessness, musicians, artists, and elected officials representing the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions in a national zoom launch of an unprecedented civil society movement to end homelessness once and for all called the “Bring America Home Now Campaign” (BAHN).
The national BAHN interfaith launch is one of many launches planned across the nation by the recently formed “Bring America Home Now” Campaign, which now has the support of scores of interfaith end homelessness organizations, NGO’s, artists, small business owners, and social justice leaders from across the nation. This includes Life Time Gospel Grammy Award Winner Pastor John P. Kee, Christian Nunes, President of the National Organization of Women, Neli Vazquez Rowland, who has been recognized throughout Chicago for creating one of the most successful organizations breaking the cycle of homelessness, and renown civil rights and social justice leader Reverend Dr. Rodney Sadler of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, NC.
Between 1981 and 1985, President Ronald Reagan cut the HUD public housing budget by approximately $80 billion dollars, and dramatically cut funding for the mentally ill. Subsequent Presidential Administrations and various Congresses have not substantively addressed the root causes of homelessness. The Bring America Home Now Campaign seeks to address multiple systems breakdown, all which have contributed to the affordable housing and homelessness crisis, and create an America where decent and quality housing is a guaranteed fundamental human and civil right for all people.
Donald Whitehead, The Executive Director of NCH, and one of the chief architects of the Bring America Home Now Campaign stated:
“The current tragic homeless crisis for the un-housed has many contributing factors. This includes the Covid-19 pandemic, the spiraling costs of private market housing, low wages for working people, strict eligibility requirements to get into private market housing, employment instability, the Supreme Court’s recent decision to lift the CDC’s moratorium on evictions, and the millions of working families and people who lack access to public or non-profit housing. This has caused untold and “unnecessary” suffering on families with children, working people, veterans, seniors, and the physically and mentally challenged who do not have access to housing in the wealthiest country in the world. We have witnessed a dramatic increase in people living on the streets, in “tent cities,” in cars, abandoned buildings. People are being turned away from homeless shelters, forced to live in temporary housing situations, or living doubled up with strangers, friends, or family members in conditions that are not conducive to human freedom, dignity, peace of mind, and the ability to become a tax paying member of the economic mainstream.” We must end this crisis. We must Bring America Home Now.”
Dr. Reverend Rodney Sadler, Associate Professor of Bible at Union Presbyterian Seminary, and the Director of the Center For Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary stated:
“I am honored and proud to be an interfaith leader of the “Bring America Home Now Campaign.” In the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions, we are commanded by God to treat people fairly and with compassion. Psalm 140:12 reads, “I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor, and upholds the cause of the needy.” The time has come for the faith community to work to end homelessness in America.”
Pastor Michelle Bush, Interfaith Event Chair, states that:
We believe that every human being is a precious commodity to God and should never be without his/her bare essentials. Housing is a human right—a matter of dignity & self-respect. It is time that the most vulnerable of society are viewed as equals, having the same access to healthy food, good paying jobs, and shelter inside a dwelling that is clean, safe, and habitable. It is time for us to BRING AMERICA HOME NOW!
The Interfaith Launch will be happening on March 17th, 2022 at 6pm EST. Please join us as NCH launches a movement to end homelessness.
Campaign Directors:
Joel Segal, He/Him
National Coalition for the Homeless, BAHN Campaign Director
Francis Kalombo Ngoy, He/Him
National Coalition for the Homeless, BAHN Deputy Campaign Director
fkalombongoy@nationalhomeless.org
—
Cecily Thomas, Communications Coordinator
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs | Why Use Pronouns?
National Coalition for the Homeless
2201 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
Office: 202-462-4822
The LOWE-Down!
Get Jiggy Jaguar's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights, top stories, show prep and more delivered to your inbox.