Holy Groaning is part of our housing work these days!
July 19, 2022
Alisha and her 8-year-old daughter have been looking for housing for 72 days. Jennifer and her three boys have been looking for housing for 49 days. Tanya and her two preschoolers have been looking for 93 days.
From Pennsylvania to Colorado, from Iowa to Florida, finding housing is at crisis levels not seen before. And families facing homelessness are getting pushed more and more to the margins as rental costs continue to escalate.
Tanya’s landlord sold her unit, giving her 60 days to find another place to live. At $15/hour, her monthly take home pay is only $2,121 – or a bit more when she can get overtime. She was paying $900/month rent for the past four years. Now, everywhere she looks, she is seeing prices in the $1400 – $1500/month range and potential landlords won’t consider her as a tenant at that rate with her current income. She moved her furniture into storage and took her children to a homeless shelter. Now, 93 days later, she is still looking for housing she can afford and a landlord willing to take a chance on her.
As average monthly rent continues to increase, so does the rental assistance that Bridge of Hope is paying to help families exit homelessness and stabilize their housing. Our average rental assistance has increased 44% over the past three fiscal years.
Bridge of Hope centers our work on those at the margins. While housing is at crisis levels for people across income brackets, it is especially hitting hard for families who are homeless. And everyday we are walking with them. Our staff and Neighboring Volunteers’ hearts are breaking with families as the stories we hear are more and more challenging. Romans 8 reminds us that the Spirit of God groans with us as we pray. And so this work of looking for housing with those who are living in their cars, living in shelters, living doubled up and on couches and campgrounds – this is holy work. Our prayers are holy groans. And the Spirit joins us in our prayers, our groaning; for housing. This is sacred, holy work of looking for places to call home for mothers and their children.
Join us in this holy, sacred work of neighboring, finding rental housing and ending homelessness!
Yes, this groaning is holy work!
Edith Yoder, CEO
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