"The necessaries of life...may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success..."
—from Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, 1854

BECAUSE Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and

BECAUSE Unitarian Universalists promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; and

WHEREAS homelessness in North America is at a crisis level and continues to grow among youth, children, and adults;

WHEREAS if large numbers of people cannot earn enough to provide "the necessaries of life," the tragedy of homelessness will increase;

WHEREAS many people are unable to provide basic shelter for themselves and their families because of poor educational preparation, inadequate job skills, low wages, scarcity of affordable day care, and the epidemic of domestic violence, a lack of safe, decent, affordable housing, or denial of access to quality health care;

WHEREAS physical illness, physical disability, mental illness, or addiction to drugs or alcohol prevent some members of our society from living independently, or seeking or holding jobs;

WHEREAS the present economic system does not offer a path to stable employment and decent housing for large segments of our society;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association urges its member congregations and individual Unitarian Universalists to work in coalition with community activists to ensure that every member of our society has the opportunity for:

1. A job: creation of more jobs paying living wages and more effective job-training programs;
2. A home: development of more safe, decent, affordable housing; and
A hope: support of private and public programs that empower people of all ages who are homeless to improve their own lives, that reduce dependency, and that address the root causes of homelessness.