The Dallas City Council and Dallas County Commissioners Response
The Mayor’s task force led by Council members Jerry Allen and Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia include community leaders that represent neighborhood representatives, service providers, civic leaders, and foundations. The task force identified the following shared values as it relates to this initiative, they are:
- Permanent supportive housing is an effective and life promoting response to chronic homelessness.
- Housing and services for people with disabilities should be integrated into all Dallas Communities.
- Housing and services for people with disabilities should be developed in partnership with their future neighbors.
- Services for chronically homeless people should be appropriate to address the health and human services needs of its clients and ensure the quality of life of the surrounding community.
The Church's Response
Why the church is called to value the homeless and poor?
Please see our sermon series and church and community bulletin handout series.
Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Luke 11:39-41 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
Luke 12:32-33 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
Luke 14:12-14 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Acts 10:3-4 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
1Corinthians 13:3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
James 2:1-4 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Acts 4:33-35 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Why the church must take care of those who hunger?
Exodus 23:11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unploughed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
Leviticus 19:10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 23:22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’”
The churches responsibility to teach on employment and the poor.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. The churches responsibility to impact social policy and government on the poor.
Proverbs 31:9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Leviticus 25:35 “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you.
Leviticus 25:39 “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your poor brother. Rather be open-handed and freely lend him whatever he needs.
Deuteronomy 15:9-11 Be careful not to harbour this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will towards your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your brothers and towards the poor and needy in your land.
Proverbs 13:23 A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
Proverbs 14:20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbours, but the rich have many friends. Our responsibility to help the poor among family Leviticus 25:25 “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold.
Leviticus 25:47-49 “‘If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien’s clan, he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may redeem him: An uncle or a cousin or any blood-relative in his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. Justice and righteousness as it relates to the poor Psalms 14:6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
Psalms 22:26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him — may your hearts live for ever!
Psalms 34:6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
Psalms 35:10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
Psalms 37:14-15 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
Psalms 112:1-9 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures for ever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered for ever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever; his horn will be lifted high in honour.
Psalms140:12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Proverbs 14:21 He who despises his neighbour sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.
Proverbs 14:31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.
Proverbs 14:31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.
Proverbs 19:17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 21:13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
Proverbs 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.
Proverbs 22:9 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty.
Proverbs 28:3 A ruler [Or A poor man] who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Proverbs 29:7 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Proverbs 29:14 If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.
Proverbs 30:11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
Proverbs 31:20 A wife of noble character opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Isaiah 3:13-14 The LORD takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people. The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.
Isaiah 3:15 What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
Isaiah 32:7-8 The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just. But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.
Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Zechariah 7:10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.’
Psalms 72:4 He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.
Psalms 140:12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Proverbs 14:21 He who despises his neighbour sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.