Mennonite Weekly Review

This Thanksgiving Day, my husband and I are packing boxes to prepare to move. We’ll have a meal with family Friday, and give thanks that we have a new apartment to move into after the bank takes possession of the foreclosed property where we have been renting.

The past year has been the first time when I lived month to month not being sure when I’d have to move. As a result of financial stability and a strong support network, I haven’t feared becoming homeless. But I’ve acquired a new compassion for all those who lack stable shelter — those displaced by poverty and conflict, those who aren’t sure if they can pay the rent this month, and those who lose their homes and rental units to foreclosure.

People are increasingly finding themselves in the last category in the United States, according to a recent report by several advocacy groups on homelessness and poverty, “Foreclosure to Homelessness 2009: The Forgotten Victims of the Subprime Crisis.” (Available in pdf.) In 12 Midwestern states, among those several with large Mennonite populations, 15 percent of homeless people were put out of their homes by foreclosure.

The report, based on a survey of agencies serving the homeless and a survey of people coping with foreclosure, shows additionally that people who lose their home to foreclosure most commonly end up living with family and friends or in an emergency shelter.

Former homeowners share testimonies of how their financial situations crumbled. One person in New Hampshire is quoted as saying after a job layoff last fall their family, which had been middle class, burned through their savings and have no job prospects.

“Our home is being auctioned off,” the person reported. “So much for the American Dream.”

Tenants in foreclosed buildings fare even worse, making up a large portion of those who have become homeless during this recession, according to the report.

“Many tenants, even those who are current in their rent payments and in compliance with their leases, face an increased risk of housing loss in the wake of foreclosure proceedings,” the report states.

The problem of housing loss is multifaceted and hard to tackle, but there are ways families and churches can help.

Legal assistance can aid homeowners and tenants in dealing with foreclosure proceedings. We can also reach out to our neighbors to learn whether they are facing foreclosure, and if so, if they know their rights in the legal process. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, an organization participating in the report, provides resources in this area.

Many churches already run programs or work with neighborhood partners to help homeless families. These ministries are especially important now.

Advocacy groups are also calling for national and local policies such as providing financial assistance to low-income households to cover the costs of moving after a foreclosure.

At this Thanksgiving, those of us who have a home in which to gather with our families can be grateful. And we can pray and care for those who do not.