A church is more than the building, and the members of Asbury First are proving this time and again. We aim to keep connected with an e-newsletter that will highlight the unique stories of our amazing community. In this way, we will share some of the incredible ways we are Better Together while being apart.
Plan Ahead with the News Sheet Read the Latest Here Click Here for the Visitor @ Home
Want to know what is happening at Asbury First in the next month? Look no further than our new News Sheet! The monthly News Sheet will feature upcoming events; ongoing classes, groups, and events; and needed items, services, and fundraisers—all in one place. For up-to-date events, links, and information, check out our full calendar at asburyfirst.org/events.
Want to submit an announcement for the next News Sheet? Email communication@asburyfirst.org or fill out the bulletin form at asburyfirst.org/bulletin-announcement.
So much good information was shared that this can only be a short summary. If you would like the slides shared by the speakers or you are interested in getting involved in the Housing Equity team, please contact Bob Castle at 166rcastle@gmail.com.
Two of the most valuable points of information were the data gathered and reported by On the Ground Research, founded and directed by Ms. Duda-Banwar, and the discussion centering on What We Can Do.
The Data
• Severe affordable housing shortage is the single largest driver for homelessness. In Rochester, there are 3.5 affordable and available rental units for every 10 households living at or below extremely low income levels.
• Locally, from 2023-2024, chronic homelessness in Monroe County more than doubled. From 2007 to 2022, the percentage of unsheltered people increased 320%. Since many unhoused people are hidden (for example, living in places too unsafe for counters to enter), the numbers of unhoused people are known to be far higher than the number reported.
• Homelessness is changing: people are becoming unhoused faster; more people are becoming unhoused for the first time; people are becoming unhoused at rates surpassing people exiting homelessness
What can we do?
• Learn about homelessness and its causes.
• Advocate for unhoused people and support and assist advocates for unhoused people.
• Talk to others about homelessness and its causes.
• Urge leaders to treat this crisis as a crisis, because housing is a human right, and because when unsheltered people are removed from areas where they have found shelter, there must be an answer to the question, “Where are they going to go?”
• Advocate for development of affordable housing, for funding for eviction prevention, for tenants’ rights, and for funding for security deposits.
• Advocate for additional support and resources for extremely low income renter households, like employment and financial assistance.
Zoning reform is essential to Smart Growth. It is a means of achieving desirable communities, communities which are vital, diverse, walkable, which provide for accessibility, for convenience, for border vacuums, for a mix of building types, for housing a range of people and families. These factors of community vitality are described by Jane Jacobs in her excellent 1961 book, Life and Death of Great American Cities, recommended to us by our speaker.
Zoning reform is a possible means of alleviating the housing shortage crisis which is the single greatest cause of the growth of homelessness. “Missing middle housing” is one of the reasons for that shortage. Missing middle housing is a concept that focuses on providing housing choices other than single-family homes: choices like duplexes, townhouses, mid-rise apartment houses. Some of the benefits of increasing the stock of these options are that they provide size and cost options for all ages, they allow people to live and work nearer their jobs, their scale fits into single family neighborhoods, and they allow families to live with or near each other. Some barriers to developing middle housing are zoning codes, the limited number of developers/builders, building codes, and resident concerns.
Introducing the
A New Chapter in Living Our Faith
Asbury First United Methodist Church has long been committed to embodying the gospel through both word and deed. In a significant step forward, the Governing Board recently adopted a resolution to establish a Social Concerns Committee. This committee will serve as a guiding force to help our church address critical issues of justice and equity in our community and beyond, reinforcing our shared commitment to love, compassion, and action.
The Social Concerns Committee will focus on the congregation’s established areas of social justice: racial equity, housing equity, anti-poverty initiatives, LGBTQIA+ rights and equity, and hopes to expand our focus to other areas, for example, ecological justice and conservation, mental health awareness, and other justice efforts. These focus areas reflect the concerns and dreams surfaced by our congregation, as well as the pressing needs of the world around us. The committee’s purpose is not only to lead and engage the church in addressing these concerns but also to help define and articulate a thoughtful process for the Governing Board to consider public statements on behalf of the congregation.
Members of this committee will draw upon the talents and passions of members across the congregation. We will create and implement action plans aligned with the mission of the church, collaborating with local and national organizations for advocacy and support. Regular updates will be provided to the Governing Board, ensuring transparency and accountability while celebrating progress.
This new committee is an exciting opportunity for Asbury First to deepen its impact and live more fully into its calling to be a beacon of hope and justice. By addressing the root causes of inequity and advocating for meaningful change, the Social Concerns Committee will pair our congregation’s works of mercy with works of justice, making a holistic difference in the lives of those we are called to serve.
