Homelessness

Homelessness

Engaging with people living on the streets of our city


In Cape Town, we are all faced with homelessness, even if we ourselves are not sleeping rough. We may face it from the comfort of our home when someone rings the doorbell asking for food, or at the traffic lights or taxi rank when someone asks us for shelter money. We face it when we see people sleeping in doorways, under bridges or in makeshift shelters.

You’ll find resources on this page which seek to give people who are homeless a chance to tell their own stories. The deeper we look into this topic, the more  we see that we, followers of Jesus, are called to remember that these are people created in the image of God, even if their reality is far removed from ours. And to respond. This resource is designed to help us to respond wisely and with compassion, mercy and kindness.

Whilst it is heart wrenching to hear people’s stories of homelessness and see people living without a home, we may well struggle to know what to do and need to ask the Lord: “How do you want me to respond to people who are homeless and ask me for help?”

The Church and homelessness during COVID-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the homeless community in Cape Town. We sat down with three organisations to find out how some churches are responding, and what you can do to help.

The one thing you can always do

HINT: It’s free, and it makes a big difference for everyone. Read this article from Invisible People about how you can engage

Homelessness Devotional

A 5-day study of homelessness with the help of Micah 6:1-8

God, The Bible and Homelessness

What does God think and what does the Bible say about this issue?

Good Giving Guidelines

Top tips for an appropriate response to giving. This is a summary of the more extensive ‘Giving with Dignity’ guide.

Homelessness and the local church

A blog post by Kevin Murphy, from Common Ground Church, Inner City

His name is...

 Meet a celebrity amongst the street people and vendors of Cape Town, having lived a homeless life for 35 years.

New Hope Stories

New Hope sat down with 3 ex-homeless friends who shared about their time on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. They share the reason why they became homeless and how they survived on the street. Listen in to find out more.

SHELTERS AND SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS

RESEARCH AND SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS