If your group is small but still wants to have a significant impact during the National Week of Action for Housing, scheduling an in-district meeting with your Member of Congress or their staff during the week is a highly effective tool. Whether you already have a relationship with your member or are meeting with their office for the first time, it will be a powerful relationship-building tool you can draw on over the months to come.

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GETTING STARTED

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• Locate the phone number for the district offices of your representative and senators. 

• If possible, recruit 3 to 4 advocates from other organizations who are dedicated to alleviating poverty and expanding access to affordable, decent, and accessible homes for your community.

• Call each office and ask to speak with a scheduler. Tell the scheduler who you are, that you are a constituent, and what organization you are affiliated with. Inform them that you and leaders from other organizations would like to meet with staffer from your representative/senator’s office during the Fall of 2020.

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PLANNING LOGISTICS

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• Use the event as an opportunity to share how federal resources are used in their district and to raise awareness for the need for further investments in homes that are affordable.

  • A mix of personal stories and data to explain the importance of affordable housing can be powerful. 

• Prepare other advocates attending the meeting by sharing talking points with them, hosting a call to review the talking points, and determining who will speak about which topics. 

• A sample list of talking points will soon be available.

• Review and print NLIHC's State Housing Profiles and Congressional District Profiles and bring any applicable informational materials from your office.

 

SHARING THE EVENT​

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• At the end of the meeting, ask the member or their staff for a picture with your group. Then, tweet and post this picture with the hashtag #ourhomesourvoices. 

 

AFTER THE EVENT

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• Send your Members of Congress and their staff an email to thank them for the meeting. Include any additional information in a clear and concise manner. Be sure to confirm any agreed-upon actions.