Creating Communities of Welcome | 2025 Outreach & Advocacy Conference
Creating Communities of Welcome: How Churches can support Housing and Shelter in their Neighbourhoods
Jesus called his followers to care for the widow and orphan, to welcome the stranger, to offer food and clothing to those in need. Poverty and homelessness in our communities is more evident today and solutions seem hard to find. Community opposition to shelters, housing and services for those experiencing homelessness has grown more strident. How can our churches respond to this? How can we effectively support efforts to house people in our communities? What does it mean to approach housing as a right?
Our speakers will approach this from three angles and share their experiences with shelter and housing projects in their neighbourhoods. The Rev. Stephen Milton of Lawrence Park Community Church will present the Roehampton Friendlies’ support of a new shelter at Yonge and Eglinton; Jamie Perttula will talk about his parish’s efforts to respond to the politics of locating a new supportive housing complex for adults getting out of homelessness; while Paul Dowling will speak of housing as a right, coming out of his many years of work and advocacy in the non-profit housing sector.
Facilitators:
The Rev. Stephen Milton is the lead minister at Lawrence Park Community Church in North Toronto, a member of the United Church of Canada. He chairs the monthly meetings of the Roehampton Friendlies, a church-led advocacy group on homelessness and housing issues. He is a regular at housing-themed protests and meetings outside and inside City hall.
Jamie Perttula is a former warden and longtime active member of Church of the Resurrection in east Toronto. He is involved in several ministries at Resurrection and beyond, and is passionate about the church being engaged with the community. In his work life, he is a transportation planner for the City of Toronto.
Paul Dowling is a volunteer with the community lunch program Beach United Church, which offers food and social connection for people, some of whom are homeless. He and other lunch volunteers are helping to support a proposed shelter nearby. During years of work in the non-profit housing sector, Paul has seen many instances of neighbours resisting supportive housing and shelters in “their” community.