The Our Homes, Our Voices National Housing Week of Action is off to a great start—with an array of events taking place yesterday across the country. Here are a just few of the events that kicked off the official start of Our Homes, Our Voices:
Metro Housing Boston and Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) hosted a panel discussion titled Foundations for the Future: State and Federal Affordable Housing Programs. Congresswoman Katherine Clark joined three other panelists, including National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel, to speak about the future of affordable housing in America.
Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch, along with all eleven legislators on the Vermont State House Committee on General Housing and Military Affairs, joined advocates to kick off the French Block project in downtown Montpelier, Vermont. This joint effort between Housing Vermont and Downstreet Housing & Community Development will rehab the two floors above Aubuchon's hardware store on Main Street in Montpelier to create 18 affordable apartments.
In Connecticut, Resident Leader and NLIHC Board member Daisy Franklin interviewed State Senator Bob Duff on the importance of affordable housing to share broadly with advocates, concerned individuals, and policy makers throughout the state and beyond.
Here are some of the Our Homes, Our Voices events taking place today, May 2:
Phoenix, AZ: The Arizona Housing Coalition will host a “Dear Arizona Letter Writing Party.” Attendees will share their affordable housing stories via letter, postcard or email with legislators.
Sacramento, CA: The Sacramento Housing Alliance will hold a happy hour and discussion on the best ways to stand for safe, stable, decent, healthy and accessible homes for everyone in the Sacramento region. Click here for more information.
Miami, FL: Miami Homes for All and the Helping Our Miami-Dade Youth (HOMY) Collective will host a “Know Your Rights Workshop.” Attendees will learn how to get an apartment and keep it. Click here for more information.
Miami, FL: The National Housing Trust and Struggle for Miami’s Affordable and Sustainable Housing (SMASH) will host a “Defeating Poverty through Affordable Housing” dinner. Miami housing policy leaders and residents will discuss affordable housing as a key component of an anti-poverty strategy.
West Palm Beach, FL: The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County is revamping their Real Change Meters Program and will organize volunteers around service to strengthen the program and its fundraising efforts.
Indianapolis, IN: The Coalition for Homeless Intervention & Prevention (CHIP) will join Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett for a press conference to discuss the data and results of the 2018 Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count conducted on January 24, 2018.
Frankfort, KY: The Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky will host a nonpartisan voter registration drive. To learn more, click here.
Portland, ME: Members of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition will meet with Senator Angus King to discuss the lack of affordable housing in Maine and across the country and how Congress could help address the issue.
Maryland: Homes for America will host voter registration events in 48 residential communities across Maryland.
Cambridge, MA: The City of Cambridge will host an “Envision Cambridge Housing Working Group Meeting” at City Hall Sullivan Chamber. Click here for more information.
Cambridge, MA: Cambridge librarian Jennifer Costa will lead a book discussion of Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. A panel of local housing advocates will join the discussion. Click here for more information.
Lansing, MI: The Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness will lead a workshop on effective federal and state-level advocacy at the Building Michigan Communities Conference.
Newark, NJ: The City of Newark Homeless Coalition will lead a candidate forum on homelessness. The forum will feature at-large candidates and mayoral candidates.
Philadelphia, PA: The Vote for Homes Coalition will host a call-in day to communicate to elected officials about the importance of funding affordable housing.
Clarksville, TN: The Lincoln Homes Resident Council will hold a resident-led conversation about affordable homes.
Interested in participating in a Housing Week of Action event? You can find a listing of planned events here: https://www.ourhomes-ourvoices.org/local-events. Please remember to use the hashtag #OurHomesOurVoices when sharing images on social media.
Planning an event that’s not listed? Contact us at ourhomes@nlihc.org and we’ll add your event to the Our Homes, Our Voices website.