Proposition B - Important on the Ballot - Early Voting & Election Day Are Coming Soon

On May 1, an issue that residents of the City of Austin will vote on is Proposition B, which looks to reinstate the City’s camping ban, making it illegal for people to camp in certain places, to sit or lie in certain areas, or to panhandle at night.

The Diocese of Austin, while not taking a position on Prop B, encourages everyone to review the teachings of the church regarding the care we are obligated to give to our brothers and sisters who are homeless.

There are dozens of passages in the Bible where God condemns governments that do not care for the orphans, the widows, and the aliens among them. The two passages in which Jesus speaks most directly about homelessness are Luke 16:19-31 (the parable of Lazarus and the rich man) and Matthew 25:31-46 (“Whatever you did for the least of these ones, you did for me.”) The Church has written many documents that touch on issues of homelessness and housing disparities, including the USCCB’s statement “The Right to a Decent Home: A Pastoral Response to the Crisis in Housing” (1975) and Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home (2015). One of the more comprehensive summaries and critiques of the Church’s teachings regarding homelessness can be found in Ethna Regan’s scholarly article “Catholic Social Teaching and Homelessness: The World Tribe of the Dispossessed” (2019).

Every person suffering from homelessness is a dignified, beloved child of God. Each of these people has experienced different circumstances that have led them to live on the streets, including job loss, inadequate pay, rejection by family, mental illness, and addiction. Some people are chronically homeless, others are temporarily homeless. In Travis County, contributing factors are the escalating costs of real estate, insufficient affordable housing, and insufficient shelters. For housing and shelters to truly help our brothers and sisters who are homeless, they must be located near public transportation, grocery stores, and  employment opportunities. Some people suffering from homelessness could be helped by financial resources alone; others will need continued assistance from social workers in order to function. But, even those who struggle with chronic homelessness due to issues of mental health and addiction, function better with the stability of a place to live.

At the crux of the matter, Prop B does nothing to solve the problem of homelessness. Whether or not it passes, many people among us will still struggle with homelessness. If Prop B passes, there will be less nuisance, blight, and trash on some of our most highly-trafficked streets, and perhaps people who live in those parts of the city will feel safer, but those who are homeless will be pushed into other parts of the city, and they will receive fines which only add to the challenges they have in finding housing. Here are links to two resources on both sides of the issue:  

• Arguing FOR Prop B: Save Austin Now Political Action Committee

• Arguing AGAINST Prop B: Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO)
   

The Church teaches that all Catholics who are eligible to vote should do so. You can read more here.