One Friday, January 24, 2025, at 3:00 PM members of faith and community groups from many different parts of the state will gather in the Board Room of the Utah Capitol Building to present state legislators with a new report on child and family homelessness and ask them to support Governor Cox’s budget proposal to fund staff and operations at a new homeless shelter for families with children located in South Salt Lake City.
The report, which was released to the public today, is titled “Every child deserves a warm, safe place to sleep: A report on child and family homelessness produced by the Faith and Advocacy Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness” and can be found on the Crossroads Urban Center website: https://www.crossroadsurbancenter.org/report.html
To prepare this report members of FACE Hunger and Homelessness gathered available data, reviewed existing research, interviewed homeless parents from different parts of the state and reflected on what our different faith and ethical traditions teach about how we must respond to the things we have learned. Here are a few of the faith reflections on the ethical imperative to address child and family homelessness.
Rev. Kimal James, Minister First United Methodist Church of Ogden
First United Methodist Church of Ogden, like other congregations of our United Methodist denomination, cares deeply about the needs of all children, and especially those who are affected by housing insecurity and homelessness. In the early 1700s, our founder John Wesley led the earliest Methodists to care for children in orphanages, believing that our faith in Jesus Christ calls us to care for the least among us. Ever since then, Methodist people have supported ministries that protect children from, and help them overcome, childhood trauma.
In 2024, the United Methodist Church revised its Social Principles to be more inclusive of United Methodists around the world where children often suffer unimaginably from wars and human trafficking. But, even here in Utah, these words are quite important:
“As a church, we will work to . . . reform the structures of society to ensure that every human being can thrive. . . . Basic rights and freedoms include the right to . . . food and shelter. . . Governments must be held responsible for guaranteeing human rights and liberties . . . We call on church and society to support and advocate for the well-being of all children.” (2024 UM Social Principles, section on Basic Rights and Freedoms).
Rev. Lora Young (she/her/hers), Minister, South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society
As Unitarian Universalists we uphold the worth and dignity of all people which includes the right to safe, affordable and accessible housing. We are all connected and thus as called to love and serve each other as we build the beloved community. Our congregation has made ending homelessness for all people a major priority for nearly 2 decades. We continue to have hope that together we can solve homelessness in Utah through collaborative, innovative solutions rooted in best practices and a clear vision for justice and equity for all.
Rev. Brent Gundlah, Holladay United Church of Christ
Congregations and members of the United Church of Christ throughout the U.S. strive to create a better world for all through ministry, mission, and witness. As a denomination, the UCC has a long history of advocating for housing justice — action that is grounded in the belief that adequate housing is a basic human right. At Holladay UCC, we covenant with one another to embody God’s extravagant love and to seek justice for the oppressed and vulnerable, and one of the ways we live into this commitment to compassionate action is by working alongside local organizations here in the Salt Lake Valley in their multifaceted efforts to end child and family homelessness.
