The number of people experiencing homelessness in a single night in America is often estimated to be in the hundred thousands, but researchers say the real number is likely closer to 3.5 million. As local governments scramble for solutions, we spoke with four experts who say the true root of the crisis isn’t only structural – it’s relational. And Christians may be uniquely equipped to do something about it.
At 23, Amanda found herself battling addiction with no place to call home. She had lost custody of her three- and four-year-old daughters and, having aged out of foster care, had no support system to lean on. “My life was in complete shambles,” she says. With seemingly no reason to improve her situation, Amanda fell deeper into addiction. For more than 10 years she never had secure housing of her own. Instead, she crashed on couches or moved in temporarily with a boyfriend.
Amanda finally found a reason to make a change when her daughters, by that point teenagers, pleaded with her to start the hard work of breaking out of addiction. She checked into an in-patient treatment facility and began her journey to sobriety. A year later, the birth of her twin boys only solidified Amanda’s determination to stay sober and be the stable mother her children needed.
But with no family or community to help Amanda get back on her feet, the likelihood she would be able to find a job to support herself and her children was low. Amanda was once again facing the prospect of joining the millions of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. – this time with infant twins.
Hidden homeless
Every January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with the help of local agencies, conducts the Point-in-Time (PIT) count – a snapshot of the number of people experiencing homelessness one night of the year. In 2024, more than 770,000 people experienced homelessness on this single night, a nearly 28 percent increase from 2022.
But the PIT count grossly underestimates the true number of people experiencing homelessness, especially youth and the “hidden homeless” – those who are couch surfing, living in vehicles, or doubling up in overcrowded or unsafe housing. A study from The University of Chicago found the true number is likely closer to 3.5 million. And the reality is we’re still only seeing a fraction of the problem. In many cities, visible street homelessness is only a small portion of the total number of people experiencing homelessness.
“New York City has 130,000 people in shelters right now and 4,000 on the streets,” says James Winans, president and CEO of The Bowery Mission in New York. “That means you’re observing around three percent of the issue. And then there are people who are not counted at all – neighbors doubled up in apartments, overcrowded, or experiencing domestic violence with no safe place to be and no resources to get out.”
While this may seem like a massive, unresolvable problem, the reality is more personal – and more solvable – than we think. We spoke with four experts from around the country, and each one mentioned the same core issue: relational poverty.
Relational poverty
“There’s a misconception that the majority of homelessness is choice driven,” says Bruce Deel, founder and CEO of City of Refuge in Atlanta. “The fact of the matter is a high percentage is circumstance driven. If, based on your skills, you can’t make enough money to pay the rent, you’re going to end up homeless.” It’s that simple.
Most people have felt the cost-of-living increase over the last few years, but when nearly half of the U.S. population lives near or below the poverty line, homelessness is the inevitable result of a structural failure – not always a moral one.
To start, we first need to understand the humans behind the numbers. Behind every statistic is a unique story and a unique set of needs. A mom fleeing domestic violence. A teen aging out of foster care. A veteran struggling with PTSD. A dad whose support system collapsed during a brief jail stay. A senior whose rent increased beyond her fixed income.
Amanda had worked hard to break out of addiction, but even with more than a year of sobriety under her belt, she didn’t know how to secure a job that would provide a stable life for her sons and herself. So, she and her six-month-old twins moved into City of Refuge’s on-campus housing program.
There, Amanda could drop her boys at the onsite preschool, attend classes, join peer support groups, and receive individual counseling.
“City of Refuge is like home to us,” Amanda says. “The boys know this place. They know everyone here. City of Refuge is family.” For the first time in her life, Amanda had found the community she needed to support her while she found a job and stable housing.
“You and I could materially lose everything right now,” says Tensley Almand, president and CEO of Atlanta Mission, “and we’re probably still 20-30 calls away from a night on the street.”
Homelessness is not just the absence of shelter – it’s the collapse of community. And yet, most of our efforts to help, while well-meaning, are expensive and miss the key issue entirely.
Beyond food
Malcolm Gladwell tells a story about a man named “Million-dollar Murray” experiencing homelessness in Reno, Nevada, and costing taxpayers more than $1 million in ER visits and jail time over 10 years of expensive non-solutions. Gladwell’s makes this shocking point clear: The cost of taking care of someone on the streets is significantly more than the cost of helping them off the streets.
Too often, volunteers show up with bagged lunches or hygiene kits and leave feeling good about their impact. But, while necessary, no amount of food and toiletries will move a person out of homelessness. “Triage is critical in the moment, but triage is not a solution,” Deel says.
The real work of ending homelessness is the work of building community – the most critical thing those experiencing homelessness lack and the very thing Christians are uniquely positioned to provide.
“The government can offer 130,000 shelter beds in New York City,” Winans says. “But they can’t offer a relationship. They can’t overcome relational poverty. That’s why it matters that people of faith engage in the issue.”
In 2003, tired of watching volunteer groups serve meals to the same people stuck in chronic homelessness, Brad Fieldhouse founded City Net in Southern California to streamline homelessness services. “Yes, people need to eat,” he says. “But they’re really trying to get the stuff beyond the food.”
Fieldhouse encourages churches to build programs that focus on survival and stability. “Rent isn’t stable. It continues to go up. Our goal is to build housing someone working at McDonalds can afford to own, not rent.”
Deel takes a wraparound approach, addressing individual needs. “If it’s about mental health, it may be as simple as getting a diagnosis and prescription. If they don’t have a skill set that allows them to earn a livable wage, we put them in a vocational training program.”
We move people out of homelessness by reconnecting them to a community of support. God wired us all to be social beings. Without connection, we don’t just suffer emotionally, we unravel socially, physically, and spiritually.
A hallmark of the Church
The Bible is full of God’s concern for the marginalized. From the laws in Leviticus about leaving portions of a field for the poor to Jesus constantly engaging with those who were unwanted in their own communities, we see a God who sides with the vulnerable. In Matthew 25, when Jesus described how our lives would be measured, he spoke of compassion in action: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked.
Those experiencing homelessness fit Jesus’ criteria perfectly. They are hungry. They are strangers. They need clean clothing. And those who had actually walked with Jesus – members of the early church – assumed it was their duty to care for them.
The first-century Church was a supportive community that combined resources to ensure all were cared for (Acts 4:32-35). They distributed food to widows (Acts 6:1-7). They took care of the poor in Judea (Galatians 2:10). They begged for the privilege of helping those suffering because of persecution in Jerusalem, even when they were in need themselves (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Even though travel between them could take weeks, they functioned as a connected, supportive community.
The church thrived, and so did those who became part of it.
It was so well-known that followers of Jesus instinctively cared for the poor that in the fourth century, the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate complained: “It is disgraceful that the impious Galileans support not only their own poor but ours as well.”
This wasn’t just charity – it was the gospel lived out.
“If Jesus completely changed my life,” Almand says, “then why would I not give my life so that somebody else’s life could be better too?”
How Christians are already helping
Through City of Refuge, Amanda found a job at a local cafe that perfectly matched her sons’ preschool schedule. She found an apartment within her budget. But even with a community supporting her, Amanda’s journey out of homelessness had its challenges. Her apartment application was initially rejected due to bad credit. It took an employee from City of Refuge advocating for Amanda for her application to finally be accepted.
Today, Amanda has a good relationship with her daughters and their adoptive family. She has a secure job supporting her sons and a permanent place to call home. “They love it. This is new to all three of us, having our own place,” Amanda says.
Lasting change requires a village of people willing to walk alongside a single person working to get out of homelessness.
Here are a few ways churches and individuals are helping:
- Offering wraparound care: Many churches across the country have partnered with local nonprofits to offer mental health support, addiction recovery, job training, and legal aid.
- Giving relationally: Volunteer groups are going beyond dropping off food by helping build resumes, practicing job interviews, fostering relationships, and being a consistent presence in the lives of people working their way out of homelessness.
- Thinking systemically: Christian organizations are advocating for zoning reform, tenant protections, and creative housing solutions, like tiny home villages, community land trusts, or supportive housing.
- Starting conversations: Small groups are hosting dinners to talk about the issue of homelessness in their area. They are asking what they can do for even just one person – together.
Is it working?
The good news is yes! It’s already working. Places like Houston, Texas; Rockford, Illinois; and Bergen County, New Jersey, have significantly reduced homelessness through housing-first models, individualized care, and collaborative command centers. The Community First! Village in Austin offers permanent housing in a neighborhood designed to encourage community. Churches helped make it happen!
We may not be able to end homelessness forever. But, as Paul encouraged the early church, we hope to encourage you: “Let us not grow weary of doing good” (Galatians 6:9).
“Particularly as believers, we cannot become callous,” Fieldhouse says. “I think we’re on the precipice of creating models that will change the game.”
Ending homelessness over and over again
Homelessness is an issue that has existed for thousands of years. Although it feels like an inevitability in all societies, it’s not inevitable for the homeless person who’s standing in front of you.
“Homelessness is something that can be overcome – over and over again,” Winans says. “It’s an enduring challenge in American society, and yet, for an individual experiencing homelessness, it can be overcome.”
Each individual person experiencing homelessness has a story like Amanda’s. While helpful at times, it wasn’t shelters and food kitchens that allowed Amanda to get permanent housing for her and her boys. It was a Christian community stepping into her life, getting to know her specific needs, and supporting her through her entire journey out of homelessness.
“When the Lord says, ‘The poor you will always have with you,’ I don’t think he means the same poor people,” Fieldhouse says. “There are always going to be people facing challenges. But I don’t think there’s this class of people that we discard and then bring meals to every Saturday.”
You alone may not end homelessness forever. But you can help one person move from crisis to stability. You could be the first friend they’ve had in years. And that might not change the whole world.
But it will change someone’s.
