Thanks to the Gazette for the wonderful article detailing the safety net that Island houses of worship have woven together.

It’s true. We the clergy had to do something for the Island homeless because there was no government funded response sufficient to meet the need. From my perspective as a clergyperson, the Island was lacking a consistent and publicized program. This meant that the volunteer Dukes County associate commissioner for the homeless (then Connie Teixeira) and the clergy had to scramble on a regular basis, seeking funding and shelter for our most vulnerable Islanders during the coldest months. Finally, a coalition of clergy, the associate commissioner for the homeless, community advocates, and formerly homeless people came together to come up with a solution. Houses of Grace was born and filled a vacuum.

The passion and energy that lead to the birth of Houses of Grace also inspired a broader coalition of community agencies, community members, and county employees to create two positions in 2016, offering benefits counseling and case management for the homeless. Unfortunately, these positions, which are now an essential part of this new safety net, are underfunded and vulnerable to cuts.

The other point that I had hoped to make was about the limitations of a faith-based response. The Houses of Grace program has been tremendously successful. Over the past year, we have also learned how much more is to be done. The houses of worship and this broader coalition could not be working harder, but hard work and good intentions can only go so far. They need the concrete support of state and federal funds. I hope this article might prompt important discussion about the need for both public sector and private responses to homelessness, and the contributions and limitations of each.

Rev. Cathlin Baker
West Tisbury