By BISHOP PATRICK J. MCGRATH and KHANH DUY RUSSO
PUBLISHED: October 13, 2016 at 9:55 am | UPDATED: October 13, 2016 at 10:08 am
"We are all feeling the effects of the urgent crisis of homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in our beloved Valley of St. Clare.
"Many experience the financial burden of paying higher rents, the time burden of enduring long commutes from relatively less expensive areas, or the space burden of sharing a small bungalow with several families. As we witness in the tent encampments beneath our freeways and along our creeks, thousands of our neighbors experience the burden of anxiety for daily survival, health and safety without a roof, a lock and a bed.
"For those of us who are not homeless or personally burdened by high rents, this crisis points to a deeper moral and spiritual challenge for us to see those who are homeless and suffering as indeed our neighbors. The good news is that as a community, we do care about homelessness and the need for more affordable housing. The question remains: What does persistent homelessness and poverty in this land of abundance call us to do?