Making Housing Happen: Faith-based Affordable Housing Models - Jill Suzanne Shook Editor

A while back I had the opportunity to hear Jill Shook speak about affordable housing. I was intrigued to learn more. While I am not entirely sure whether I agree with some of the methods or even areas of focus, I greatly appreciate the work that has been done in these areas and am challenged to learn what my involvement in affordable housing could look like.

Mixed Income

Integrating affordable housing into middle-class neighborhoods seems to be an effective way of alleviating poverty. This is called mixed income housing. In chapter one Terry Carter and Jill Shook bring up a case where over 25,000 poor people were given Section 8 vouchers which are the standard housing assistance method used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This meant that they were able to move into areas where no more than 30 percent of the residents were black. The results were quite amazing. According to Terry Carter and Jill Shook "Poor, single-parent black families, when living in the midst of a middle-class neighborhood, were more likely to be employed. In addition, their children were four times less likely to drop out of school and more than twice as likely to attend college.... [Additionally,] in only one out of thirty-one studies was there a confirmed negative impact on home values."

Government Funding/Political Emphasis

One area of concern I had with this book is the level of reliance on the Government that most of these affordable housing models have. With a few exceptions, most of the housing projects included were primarily subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In addition, there is a large amount of dependency on the Government for these projects to work effectively. I am neither saying that this is good or bad. I do not have the answers. I do however think that this is an area that should not be overlooked.

"Sweat Equity"

A model that I particularly liked was in chapter three: Habitat for Humanity and Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Here is how it works. Habitat for Humanity will provide an interest free loan and the future homeowners paired with volunteers will provide the labor or "sweat equity". A homeowner putting work into his home adds an extra sense of ownership.

Conclusion

One of the most beneficial aspects of this book is the challenge to rethink the way we look at housing. Maybe our idea of one isolated unit on a lot should not be the norm. Maybe we should pursue relatively new ideas like housing cooperatives or co-housing. Maybe we should look at mixed income neighborhoods in the new light of the lives that are being changed. It is at least worth a try.

Great Commision Companies by Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen

In their book Great Commission Companies, Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen do a good job in demonstrating that businessmen can be an effective catalyst for sharing Christ in Unreached People Groups. They also show the falsity of what they call the spiritual-vocational hierarchy where typically most Christians see foreign missionaries as the people with the most spiritual job and business men and others with the least spiritual jobs.

Globalization

The world is changing in big ways. For instance, businessmen no longer rely on local economies to the extent that they used to. Information, technology, transportation, and shipping have dramatically changed our markets from local to global. While this definitely could be a good thing some people don't like the way events have turned. Outsourcing is more and more common these days. This can be destructive if we don't become integrated into the global economy. In addition to the opportunities this has created for business, globalization has opened up new doors for bringing news about the gospel of Jesus to UPGs (Unreached People Groups). One of the most exciting aspects of globalization is that you don't have to be a professional missionary anymore to be involved in frontier missions. Now the average "Joe" can go anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. Ordinary people are going cross cultural at surprising levels. This has brought about a new phase in history where now business professionals can take a leading role in church planting movements. It is no longer the "elite" who are fulfilling the Great Commission.

Cover up Business?

Some traditional missionaries have caught on the Idea of using business and mission together but when used as merely an "access strategy" this can be not only deceptive but just plain less effective. It will become apparent to onlookers that real for profit business is not being done. People will start to wonder where you are getting money from and will be suspicious. This can completely undermine the work that is being accomplished. How much better to be up front with everyone and be pursuing legitimate business income. Furthermore, a legitimate business that is making a substantial amount of money is a significant asset to the community that a phony business cannot be.

No "Necessary Evil"

I am becoming more and more convinced that there is no reason that we have to see our job as a necessary evil. It should be and integral part of what we do not just a way to make money so that we can do what we really want. The time we spend during our work week is just as important as our off time if not more important. It is valuable time to build relationships. Even the fact that a job gives an opportunity to spend a lot of time with others on something together is very important.

Practical Business Helps

Sometimes when I am driving by a business I wonder how they started. Did they wake up one day and say to themselves "I want to start a restaurant"? What is it that makes for a good business plan? Chapter 5 (pp. 79) refers to what Harvard business professor Amar Bhide has found to be true. He says in his book ¹How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who find solutions to problems they encountered in a previous job. This is one of many ways that this book Great Commission Companies has demystified my knowledge of how business works.

Conclusion

Great Commission Companies is a read that is well worth the time it takes. The Insights I gained by reading it are invaluable. Any follower of Jesus would do well to hear this information

¹Amar Bhide, "How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work" Harvard Business Review March/April 1994, pp. 150-61