Alexandria, Va. – Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and its 167 member agencies want to keep a promise made 70 years ago.
The Housing Act of 1949, part of President Harry Truman’s Fair Deal program, listed as one of its goals a decent home and a suitable living environment for every family. The goal has not been met, but the Catholic Charities ministry in the United States remains committed to making it a reality.
The current issue of Charities USA, the quarterly magazine of CCUSA, focuses on the recent efforts of Catholic Charities to provide housing to the most needy and vulnerable in our country.
The feature story announces CCUSA’s Healthy Housing Initiative, which aims to reduce homelessness and hospital readmission rates for homeless persons in U.S. cities by providing shelter and healthcare services at the same location. A person who has good health and stable housing is more likely to move into permanent housing.
The exemplary housing work of Catholic Charities was also recently recognized in an unexpected and generous way: The Jeff Bezos Day One Families Fund decided to grant funds to organizations that were serving homeless families. Three Catholic Charities agencies received $5 million each to support their housing ministries.
Catholic Charities of Portland (Ore.) is the subject of a spotlight article. Recognizing the specific needs of homeless women, Catholic Charities of Portland brought together the local government and neighbors to construct tiny houses for women living on the streets. The result is the Kenton Women’s Village, which shelters and provides services to women in order to help them toward self-sufficiency.
Read about these efforts of the Catholic Charities ministry and more in the 2019 spring issue of Charities USA magazine.
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