Do the homeless need a home? Guest blogger Edward J. Shannon

Mr. Shannon is a residential architect from Waterloo, Iowa. For those of you outside the architectural field, that means his specialty is designing homes. You may see some photos of his work at this web site. He is a Christian with a heart for those less fortunate. He has given a lot of thought and time to the problems of the homeless, and like me thinks the problem is much bigger than a warm bed and a secure roof. I appreciate his willingness to be a guest blogger.
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I don't believe homelessness is an architectural problem, but a social one. I serve in churches and ministries that have homeless populations. I have seen first hand that many "choose" to be homeless. It doesn't sound rational to clear thinking people, but mental illness, addictions, and broken families can foster this.

I used to drop my boys off (at their mother's) in Palatine at 5 pm on Sundays. I would be heading back to Winnetka on Palatine Road and would usually see a homeless man in Arlington Heights walking west bound. I would turn around and give him a ride to a church in Palatine that had a PADS program [Providing Advocacy, Dignity, and Shelter Crisis Services, usually in church buildings of the Chicago area]. His name was Emory. He walked with a bad limp and it just pained me to see him walking a 3.5 mile trek. On our short drives, I began to get to know Emory a little. I asked, "What happened?" He explained to me that he had a college degree and was once married. His marriage fell apart and he lost his job (that happened to me, too) and could never "pick himself up". As such, he went down the slippery slope of becoming homeless. I asked if he had family in the area (this is key, I believe). He told me he had a sister on the South Side of Chicago. I asked why he didn't move in with her and try to get up on his feet. He shied away from my questions, saying he didn't want to impose; they didn't get along well, etc.

Where are the families? If I found myself in that predicament, I am confident I could move in with a family member or close friend. In the 1930s depression years, many were unemployed, yet many families lived together. This doesn't happen with this demographic, and I have seen stories, like Emory's, time and time again.

I don't think any amount of free housing will solve this problem. Housing is not the problem. It is a symptom of the problem. These people need family support. They need counseling and (often times) addictions intervention. Architects will not solve this problem, nor should we. I know a few, like Donald Macdonald of San Francisco, and the "Mad Houser's of Atlanta, have tried. I commend them for their efforts, but wonder if they have actually produced tangible results.

I'm in agreement with Mr. Shannon on most points, however, even family support can do little for the mentally ill and addicted. Most have been burned out, and have had to go to a "tough love" stance in order to help their family member. In the Columbus area I think we all remember the viral video of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the fabulous voice who got national attention, job offers, money, and was even on the Dr. Phil show who paid for him to enter rehab (he had already regressed since the video went viral). Talent, money, education, a voice that God gives very few, and family support were not lacking. He is an alcoholic. He has been in rehab several times since all the fame.

Also, and this too is counter intuitive for non-believers and even many Christians, helping the homeless and especially more personally by turning around and picking up Emory, gave Mr. Shannon an opportunity to meet Jesus face to face. This is made clear in Matthew 25. Mr. Shannon has experienced God's love in his own life, and he is sharing that love with others.