Getting to the Root of Homelessness

Often we don’t notice the roots underneath homelessness. Instead, we try to fix the problem once it’s occurred. What if we could help fix the underlying problems before people end up hungry and alone, sleeping under the I-5 overpass?

To get to the root, we need to know the cause. The top five causes of homelessness are:

• Lack of affordable housing
• Poverty
• Unemployment
• Substance abuse
• Mental illness

If we can address these issues as a community, we would make a huge dent in the homeless population, which is currently over 2,300 people just in Snohomish County. And we have over 800 families in need of shelter, too.

One of the biggest things people need to work their way out of homelessness is just that: work.

By providing job-training opportunities like Feed Hope Kitchen, we can help dedicated individuals get the skills they need to not only get a job, but to get started in a career. This gives them the ability to move up in the industry and make a living wage. That takes care of poverty, unemployment and the issue of paying for housing.

It doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a start. What are some ways you can think of attacking homelessness at the root? How can we all partner together to share God’s love with our poor and needy neighbors?