ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 18, 2005

Lutheran Services in America Opens Affordable Housing Initiative
05-227-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Services in America (LSA)
launched an initiative to change the face of affordable housing
in the United States and Caribbean.  LSA is an alliance of nearly
300 social ministry organizations, the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
     "Lutherans have an enormous presence in affordable housing
across the country," said Jill Schumann, president, Lutheran
Services in America.  Many Lutheran social ministry organizations
are known for this work, and many Lutheran congregations are also
engaged in providing shelter for people with low incomes or no
incomes, she said.
     "We don't really know who is doing what where," she said.
"Each group is doing it somewhat in isolation."
     "Our goal is first to map what is it that Lutherans are
doing in affordable housing," contacting all Lutheran social
ministry organizations and congregations, and asking them key
questions about their ministries, Schumann said.  "We are
building a very robust database and lots of anecdotes," she said.
     The next step will be to form a steering committee from the
people those mapping surveys identify as "doing good work in
affordable housing," Schumann said.  That steering committee can
"mobilize expertise, assets and models," she said, and take a
leadership role in private and public conversations about
financing, housing and urban development, and increasing the
stock of affordable housing.
     About two-thirds of the nearly 300 LSA member organizations
provide some sort of housing, said Janice Ulrich, LSA project
manager, Baltimore.
     "We are trying to identify their struggles and what makes
them successful," she said.  "Where are the successful programs?
Who are the experts and who are the movers and shakers willing to
respond creatively and immediately to need?  Who are the bulldogs
in advocacy?"
     "Lutheran organizations provide affordable housing across
the country in urban, small town, suburban and rural areas,"
Ulrich said.  "Lutherans supply housing and housing opportunities
to the elderly, persons with disabilities, children and families,
the homeless, to people with low to very low incomes, and even to
individuals with moderate incomes in the case of workforce
housing," she said.
     Ulrich said the surveys are still being conducted, but she
offered some "initial findings."
     "For most social ministry organizations, starting a housing
project seemed daunting in the beginning because of the
associated paperwork involved.  They needed the help of
developers and consultants, but after a couple of years many
confidently moved to self-sufficiency once they learned the
routine," Ulrich said.
     "Having a Lutheran housing network of experienced colleagues
and resources to rely on could help more organizations not feel
so isolated during the start up of a new program," she said.
     "One barrier that severely hampers progress in many areas is
the 'not in my back yard' attitude.  Fears that affordable
housing will decrease a community's property values, causes
strong opposition by residents and adds a lot of time and money
to the project," Ulrich said.
     "These fears are unfounded when there's good planning,
quality construction, good support for residents and good
property management.  It's a safe bet these conditions exist when
it's a Lutheran organization involved with the project," she
said, and a Lutheran housing network would only increase those
odds.
     Jeff Schacht is surveying Lutheran congregations "about
three categories of involvement" in affordable housing
ministries.
     Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a nonprofit financial
services organization based in Minneapolis, is working with
Habitat for Humanity to build as many as 500 homes annually in
the United States by 2008.  The congregations' involvement in the
Thrivent Builds Homes program is the first category, Schacht
said.
     Schacht said he has also been asking more general questions
about any support congregations may provide local shelters or
other agencies.
     The "most intensive" part of the survey is to question
congregations directly involved in providing housing, Schacht
said.  "A number of congregations have organized independent
not-for-profit corporations to manage property or properties," he
said.
     Schacht surveyed congregations in four of the ELCA's 65
synods for his final diaconal ministry project -- an analysis of
how and why Lutheran churches become involved in affordable
housing -- at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg,
Pa.  He has since contacted congregations in two more synods.
     "There are approximately 50 facilities owned and/or operated
by congregations in those (six) synods.  This does not represent
50 congregations, however, because some congregations have built
or run multiple housing properties," Schacht said.
-- -- --
     The home page for Lutheran Services in America is at
http://www.lutheranservices.org/ on the Web.

     An audio report on this story is available at
http://media.elca.org/audionews/051013.mp3 on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news