Friends Meeting of Austin minuted on April 11, 2021

Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. - Matthew 8:20

As Austin Quakers we are in favor of providing housing and services to those in our community experiencing homelessness. We oppose Proposition B on the May 1, 2021 ballot as a measure that provides neither housing nor services. 

Too many residents of the City of Austin are unhoused. Prop B would put in place hefty fines and potential jail time for simply being homeless. Research has shown that such criminal citations do not reduce homelessness, but instead can make the problem worse. A solution to homelessness in our community is long overdue. Permanent supportive housing is an effective, compassionate, and just method for ameliorating the suffering caused by homelessness. 

Members and attenders of the Friends Meeting of Austin (Quakers) urge our elected officials to enact measures to increase the supply of permanent supportive housing for those in the city experiencing homelessness. We encourage all voters to reject the cruel impulse to lock the homeless up rather than to help them.