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Christianity Today, May, 2009 |

Abolishing Homelessness in Ten Years

Philip Mangano, the federal 'homeless czar,' says, 'Yes we can.'

Interview by David Neff | posted 5/22/2009 10:27AM

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The metrics of homelessness used to be: We served 300,000 meals last year. We are hoping to serve 400,000 meals next year. Now the metric is: Last year, we had x number of homeless people; this year we have x minus y number of homeless people. The numbers are going down!

Related Elsewhere:

The Interagency Council on Homelessness has more background on Mangano on its website.

Malcolm Gladwell profiled Mangano for The New Yorker.

Previous Christianity Today stories on homelessness include:

Bridge to a Place Called Home | How one ministry partners with churches to put the homeless back on their feet. (February 1, 2006)

The Word on the Street | What the homeless taught me about prayer. By Philip Yancey (January 1, 2006)

A Bridge Over Troubled People | Sinners of all stripes find a church home under the I-35. (April 1, 2004)

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May 2009, Vol. 53, No. 5, Page 52

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Sonya

Posted: May 30, 2009 9:29 PM


The best way to end homelessness is to stop its source: broken divorced families. Keeping marriages intact would reduce most social ills by 50% in this country. MarriageNewsNow has a great list of why marriage matters http://www.marriagenewsnow.com and you can see how important it is to the economic well being of kids and spouses.

john bord

Posted: May 27, 2009 11:59 AM

Ending homelesness is puting oneself in a God seat. When Jesus was annoited with oil and the disciples said it should be sold for the poor. Jesus replied, "You will always have the poor........" Who can really end poverty.....not any one of the world. Like you said it can be managed. What is God's purpose for having poor people. To serve God is a command. Setting up as a demi-god is dangerous water to tread on. I do laud your efforts though and pray that your work will serve God and God will receive the glory. Amen

petraon

Posted: May 26, 2009 9:30 PM

We have had relatives stay with us, sometimes for months because they were having a hard time. Sometimes for good reason and sometimes, taking advantage of our kindness. I was surprised to learn that people are still counted as homeless, even when a relative opens their home to them. Homelessness should not be a money making scheme for liberal interests. A great book to read is: "Scratich Beginnings" by Adam Shepard.

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