Now Available! The 2021 NLIHC Advocates' Guide!
Every year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition publishes the Advocates’ Guide to Housing and Community Development Policy to educate advocates of all kinds about the programs and policies that make housing affordable to low-income people across America.
All of us can effectively advocate for housing programs with our members of Congress and other policy makers.
Whether you are a student in an urban planning program, a new employee at a housing agency or community development corporation, or a seasoned affordable housing advocate looking for a refresher on key programs, this section will give you the overview of housing programs and advocacy tools you need to be a leader in the affordable housing movement and to advocate effectively for socially just housing policy for low-income Americans.
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Advocates’ Guide 2021
The Advocates’ Guide is a go-to resource for affordable housing and community development practitioners, advocates, and policymakers for detailed descriptions of every federal housing and community development program, as well as current challenges, opportunities, and practical strategies for addressing the shortfall in housing that is affordable and available to low income people and communities.
Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 1, Section 1: About the Advocates’ Guide
- Chapter 1, Section 2: HoUSed Campaign
- Chapter 1, Section 3: A Brief Historical Overview of Affordable Rental Housing
- Chapter 1, Section 4: The National Need for Affordable Housing
- Chapter 1, Section 5: Income Targeting and Expenditures for Major Housing Programs
- Chapter 1, Section 6: Housing as a Human Right
Chapter 2: Advocacy Resources
- Chapter 2, Section 1: How Laws Are Made
- Chapter 2, Section 2: The Federal Budget and Appropriations Process
- Chapter 2, Section 3: FY21 Budget Chart
- Chapter 2, Section 4: Introduction to the Federal Regulatory Process
- Chapter 2, Section 5: Lobbying: Individual and 501(c)(3) Organizations
- Chapter 2, Section 6: Congressional Advocacy and Key Housing Committees
- Chapter 2, Section 7: Federal Administrative Advocacy
- Chapter 2, Section 8: Using Federal Data Sources for Housing Advocacy
- Chapter 2, Section 9: Using the Freedom of Information Act for Housing Advocacy
- Chapter 2, Section 10: Avoiding and Overcoming Neighborhood Opposition to Affordable Rental Housing
- Chapter 2, Section 11: Resident and Tenant Organizing
- Chapter 2, Section 12: Resident Participation in Federally Subsidized Housing
- Chapter 2, Section 13: Our Homes, Our Votes: A Guide to Voter Engagement Activities for Nonprofit Housing Providers and Resident Organizations
- Chapter 2, Section 14: Our Homes, Our Votes Engagement Plan
- Chapter 2, Section 15: Best Practices and Tips for Advocacy and Lobbying
- Chapter 2, Section 16: Best Practices and Lessons Learned: Building Multi-Sector Coalitions
- Chapter 2, Section 17: Working with the Media
Chapter 4: Rental Housing Programs for the Lowest Income Households
- Chapter 4, Section 1: Housing Choice Vouchers
- Chapter 4, Section 2: Project-Based Vouchers
- Chapter 4, Section 3: Vouchers: Tenant Protection Vouchers
- Chapter 4, Section 4: Vouchers: Family Unification Program
- Chapter 4, Section 5: Foster Youth to Independence Initiative
- Chapter 4, Section 6: Mainstream and Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) Vouchers
- Chapter 4, Section 7: Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers
- Chapter 4, Section 8: Public Housing
- Chapter 4, Section 9: Rental Assistance Demonstration
- Chapter 4, Section 10: Repositioning of Public Housing
- Chapter 4, Section 11: Moving to Work Demonstration & Expansion
- Chapter 4, Section 12: Project-Based Rental Assistance
- Chapter 4, Section 13: Section 202: Supportive Housing for the Elderly
- Chapter 4, Section 14: Section 811: Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program
- Chapter 4, Section 15: USDA Rural Rental Housing Programs
- Chapter 4, Section 16: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
- Chapter 4, Section 17: Homeless Assistance: McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs
- Chapter 4, Section 18: Homeless Assistance: Federal Surplus Property to Address Homelessness
- Chapter 4, Section 19: Rental Housing Programs of the Lowest-Income Households: Renters' Tax Credit
Chapter 5: Affordable Housing Programs
- Chapter 5, Section 1: Federal Housing Administration
- Chapter 5, Section 2: HOME Investment Partnerships Program
- Chapter 5, Section 3: Housing Bonds
- Chapter 5, Section 4: The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Chapter 5, Section 5: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
- Chapter 5, Section 6: Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Programs
- Chapter 5, Section 7: The Affordable Housing Program and Community Investment Program of the Federal Home Loan Banks
- Chapter 5, Section 8: Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program
- Chapter 5, Section 9: State and Local Housing Trust Funds
- Chapter 5, Section 10: Cuts to Housing Benefits
Chapter 6: Special Housing Issues
- Chapter 6, Section 1: Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
- Chapter 6, Section 2: Housing Needs of Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, and Stalking
- Chapter 6, Section 3: Inclusionary Housing Policies
- Chapter 6, Section 4: Manufactured Housing
- Chapter 6, Section 5: Olmsted Implementation
- Chapter 6, Section 6: Protection Tenants at Foreclosure
- Chapter 6, Section 7: Housing Access for People with Criminal Records
- Chapter 6, Section 8: Criminalization of Homelessness
- Chapter 6, Section 9: The Mortgage Interest Deduction
- Chapter 6, Section 10: Medicaid Expansion
- Chapter 6, Section 11: Disaster Housing Programs
- Chapter 6: Section 12: “Mixed Status” and “Public Charge” Rules: Attacks on Immigrants’ Access to Housing
- Chapter 6: Section 13: Land Use Regulation and Affordable Housing
- Chapter 6: Section 14: Equal Access for Transgender People: Trump Administration’s Attempt to Eliminate Shelter Protections for Transgender People
- Chapter 6: Section 15: Rent Control
Chapter 7: Housing Tools
- Chapter 7, Section 1: Housing Counseling Assistance
- Chapter 7, Section 2: Fair Housing Programs
- Chapter 7, Section 3: Disparate Impact
- Chapter 7, Section 4: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), Part 1
- Chapter 7, Section 5: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), Part 2
- Chapter 7, Section 6: Consolidated Planning Process
- Chapter 7, Section 7: Public Housing Agency Plan
- Chapter 7, Section 8:The “Community Reinvestment Act”
- Chapter 7, Section 9: Section 3: Job Training, Employment, and Business Opportunities Related to HUD Funding
- Chapter 7, Section 10: Continuum of Care Planning
- Chapter 7, Section 11: Additional Housing Programs: Housing First
- Chapter 7, Section 12: HUD-Funded Service Coordination Programs
Chapter 10: Coronavirus, Housing, and Homelessness
- Chapter 10, Section 1: Project-Based Rental Assistance, Coronavirus (CV)
- Chapter 10, Section 2: Public Housing, Coronavirus (CV)
- Chapter 10, Section 3: Community Development Block Grants, Coronavirus (CDBG-CV)
- Chapter 10, Section 4: HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Coronavirus Waivers
- Chapter 10, Section 5: Housing Choice Vouchers, Coronavirus (CV)
- Chapter 10, Section 6: Eviction Protections During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Chapter 10, Section 7: The Role of FEMA in COVID-19 Response
- Chapter 10, Section 8: COVID Relief Legislation
- Chapter 10, Section 9: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA-CV) (CARES Act)
- Chapter 10, Section 10: Homeless Assistance, Coronavirus (Homeless Assistance-CV)