Austin’s Solution to Homelessness: The Homeless Hotel

The problem of homelessness is like all of the problems our society is facing today; a problem of liberalism. For liberalism at its heart is a rejection of God. Which, of course, is the foundation of all of our problems.

The current trendy rejection of God when it comes to homelessness is a concept called “housing first.” This approach “prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life.”

While it is self-evident that ending homelessness requires housing, it often turns out that when the homeless are provided housing that homelessness is not their their primary problem. Instead, formerly homeless people in housing often pursues “personal goals” that do not improve their quality of life. And since in many instances the housing first approach does not focus on dealing with the spiritual/moral issues a person is facing, the new housing often serves primarily as a platform for demonstrating the problems of why the person became homeless in the first place.

Never being one to pass up an opportunity to reject God’s counsel, the Austin City Council has taken two recent housing first actions on homelessness. The first was earlier this year when it ended a ban on camping in public spaces (except at City Hall), apparently under the belief that allowing camping on the sidewalks of downtown Austin would lead to the end of homelessness. 

When that didn’t prove to be politically popular–in part because of assaults by the homeless, the city partially reinstated the ban and decided to spend $8 million on a somewhat rundown Roadway Inn and turn it into what some have dubbed the Homeless Hotel.

I work on Congress Ave. in downtown Austin. And while the recent actions of the city council have exacerbated the problems with the homeless downtown, the presence of the homeless downtown are nothing new. A couple of shelters and related services have made downtown a gathering place for the homeless for some time. So has the presence of a large number of workers, shoppers, and tourists with cash to spare for homeless beggars. 

On Congress north of 6th St., the presence of the homeless picked up about four years ago with the presence of three retail convenience/grocery stores. This provided both foot traffic targets for begging and places to spend its proceeds.

I’ve gotten to know a few of the guys who regularly hang out on Congress. In times of clarity, they often exhibit an understanding of how they got to where they are today. But other times bring angry outbursts at passersby, often some of the same folks they ask for money on other days. This can make it quite uncomfortable at times for even the most compassionate person to walk down Congress.

Until Christ returns, the homeless will always be with us. Yet that doesn’t mean we can’t have success in greatly reducing it. But to do so requires dealing with underlying personal and societal problems that the housing first approach can’t solve. Reforming, or eliminating, public education, public welfare, public healthcare, the regulatory state, and the high taxes that support these institutions are necessary in order to fully deal with the spiritual, mental, and physical challenges of homelessness.

While we try to address these larger problems in society that contribute to homelessness, Christians can share their time, treasure, and faith with the homeless in appropriate ways. Both individually and through groups like Mobile Loaves and Fishes and its Community First! Village. It turns out that community, not housing, is what should come first in helping the homeless. Which is something only individuals (and ultimately only Christ), not the government, are capable of providing.

A few days ago while reading about the Homeless Hotel, it brought to mind an old song, Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis. So I penned some lyrics to the tune. Which has reminded about the beauty and simplicity of art. What took me 628 words to express above took only 171 words below. Here they are:

Well, since my city left me
Well, they found a new place to dwell
Well, it’s all up and down on Congress Street
At the Homeless Hotel

Where I’ll be, I’ll be surrounded baby
Well, I’m surrounded
I’ll be surrounded, think I’ll fly

Oh, and because it’s always crowded
They want to find more room
Looks like it’s the Roadway Inn
To cry there in their gloom

Where they’ll be, they’ll be so hidden maybe
Well, be so hidden
They’ll be so hidden, they could die

Now, Austin does not love them
And ignores their need for Christ
Well, Faithful we need to share with them
Of the blood He sacrificed

Where we’ll be, we’ll be so hopeful baby
Well, be so hopeful
We’ll be so hopeful, since He died

Well, there is another hangout
Where we homeless can join in peace
There broken hearted lovers
Will see that pain will cease

Where we’ll be, we’ll be so hopeful baby
Well, be so hopeful
We’ll be so hopeful, since He died