A Theology of Housing as Stewardship & Mission Based on Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a theology of housing as stewardship and mission and examine ways that such theology is practically applied through affordable housing in the US as told in my book, Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models.1 This theology captures a biblical vision of economic and land justice, following the Torah through to Jesus and Paul with broad themes of Sabbath the rhythms needed to sustain all of life: rest every seven days, the earth to rest every seven years, debts forgiven every seven years, and the land returned to the original owner every seven times seven years - the Jubilee. Our country practices a level of debt
forgiveness through our bankruptcy laws and farmers still acknowledge that land left fallow is a wise practice, but few people recognize ways the biblical Jubilee is practiced through affordable housing. Jesus proclaimed Jubilee in his Luke 4 mission statement and the early church lived it out in Acts 2-4 by selling land so that no one would be in need.  Paul proclaimed the purpose of wealth, that all might have their needs met, in 2 Corinthians 8:14-15 based on lessons from the manna passage. We are called to celebrate an economy of abundance and grace when we follow the Sabbath rhythms. This is not a theology of socialism, utopianism, or idealism, but the pure and simple gospel lived out
both personally and publicly. It is about the longing that God put in each of us for a place. God moved Israel from landlessness (wilderness and exile) to yearning for and obtaining landedness (the Promised Land). God provided laws to govern the just use of land (Lev. 1 Jill Suzanne Shook, Making Housing Happen: Faith-Based Affordable Housing Models (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2006).

25). Biblical theology cannot be disconnected from land and public decisions regarding its use. This dissertation provides several forms of research. Chapter 1 describes the intended purpose of this project and the published chapter on the theology of housing entitled, 'Ownership, Land and Jubilee Justice.' Chapter 2 of this dissertation reviews the various streams of literature that provide the framework for a theology of housing. Chapter 3 is a chapter from my book entitled 'Our Nation's Housing Crisis: A Rude Awakening to the American Dream.' This chapter states the housing crisis and an overview of the history of US housing policy decisions (land use laws). Policy decisions cannot be separated from the deeply rooted issues of race. Chapter 4 of this dissertation is an overview of literature on the history of housing policy and housing experimentation. Chapter 5 presents a summary of some of the various models that I have featured in my book and an evaluation of their theological underpinnings: Sweat Equity: Self Help Housing and the Habitat for Humanity Model, Rehabbing Apartment Buildings, Adaptive Reuse, Tenants Taking Ownership, A Mixed-Use and Mixed-Income Model, Cooperative Housing, Cohousing, Workforce housing, Community Land Trusts, and Community Organizing. Chapter 6 reviews literature on various housing models unique ways to bring about housing affordability. Chapter 7 describes how the intended purpose was met and contributes to transformational principles in our country today.  It is hoped that the reader will have a new understanding of the God-given purpose of land and its just use so that all will have a place to live. It is hoped that the body of Christ will be mobilized to see and implement some practical ways that the church today can live out this part of the gospel to advance God's kingdom on earth.